


Spider-Man Oneshots (Whump Edition)

by samos7



Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe, Spider-Man (Tom Holland Movies)
Genre: Gen, Peter Parker Needs a Hug, Tony Stark Acting as Peter Parker's Parental Figure
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-02-01
Updated: 2020-07-15
Packaged: 2021-02-28 00:53:40
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 21
Words: 29,654
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22545091
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/samos7/pseuds/samos7
Summary: A collection of one-shots with Peter Parker and Tony StarkTRIGGER WARNING: Do not read if you are sensitive to topics of harm or death
Relationships: May Parker (Spider-Man) & Peter Parker, Michelle Jones/Peter Parker, Pepper Potts/Tony Stark, Peter Parker & Morgan Stark (Marvel Cinematic Universe), Peter Parker & Tony Stark
Comments: 82
Kudos: 346





	1. Lost

**Author's Note:**

> Hi everyone! A couple months ago I participated in writing for Febuwhump, but looking back the content I wrote felt rushed and poorly executed. Instead of deleting them all together, I decided to edit the chapters to my liking as well as add some new prompts. 
> 
> I'll probably add to this oneshot collection whenever I'm in the mood to write something but don't have the energy to make a full story, but it'll be sporadic. 
> 
> Thank you for reading, and I hope you enjoy!

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tony goes missing and Peter gets stuck on babysitting duty

It had officially been twenty four hours since Tony had gone missing.

In the beginning, everyone had attempted to stay calm as they waited for him to return to the lake house. As time passed by however, even Morgan was able to sense that something was off. She had began to innocently ask questions about her father, and Peter has no idea how to answer them.

All of the Avengers had benched Peter from the mission in search for Tony. While he had fought to be included and even tried to sneak into the jet they were traveling in, he eventually gave in after Pepper sat him down and explained exactly why he wasn't allowed to join.

Tony cared too much about Peter for something to happen to him. If he was being held as prisoner and they somehow got their hands on Spiderman, it would be game over for them all.

A couple years ago, Peter would have complained. He would have done everything in his power to refute the claims. Now, he accepts his fate as he hands Morgan a bowl of dry Cheerios.

He had been deemed as protector of Morgan for the night (read: babysitter).

Morgan is munching on her cereal when she repeats the same question she's been asking for the last three hours. "Do you know when Daddy's going to be home?"

Peter looks down and plays with the web shooters attached to his wrists, trying to keep his voice light for Morgan's sake, "should be soon..."

The words sound disingenuous even to Peter's own ears, and Morgan seems to agree when she outwardly pouts. If the circumstances weren't so dire, Peter would have probably found it to be adorable.

He takes a shaky breath and tries to keep himself calm and collected in front of the little girl. Peter knows that if he begins to freak out then Morgan will shortly follow, and with that thought in mind he clenches his fists together to hide the fact that his hands were shaking. Then, he offers Morgan a smile that most likely comes off as more of a grimace.

"How about we watch a movie?"

Morgan visibly perks up at that, and Peter let's out a small sigh in relief.

"Can we watch Pocahontas?"

"Of course."

In response, Morgan punches the air in victory and runs to the living room. After Peter grabs candy and blankets, he puts on the movie and tells her that he's going to make popcorn.

He waits until Morgan is fully engrossed into the film, humming along to Just Around the River Bend, before he finally breaks down and cries.

Because Peter wasn't stupid, he's lost way too many people in his life to act naive of the situation. Tony would never leave Morgan for over twenty four hours, and he would never ignore Pepper's calls and texts the way he has been. Something was definitely wrong if Tony was lost.

He was most likely dead.

Peter checks his phone for what feels like the hundredth time and is nothing but disappointed when he sees no text or update. He wishes he was out there searching, the way he knew Tony would be if the roles were reversed. Instead, he covers his mouth with the palm of his hand and stifles back another sob.

"Why are you crying?"

Peter spins around to see Morgan staring up at him, eyebrows furrowed together in a way that looks so much like Tony that it hurts. The movie is long forgotten as the two stand alone in the kitchen, and he can no longer stop himself from crying in front of Morgan.

He bends down so he's at eye level with her, and she's quick to wrap her arms around Peter. He feels guilty for accepting the comfort so quickly, and he recognizes that if anything he should be the one consoling her. He attempts to then, but his grief makes it impossible breathe or let alone speak.

"Is it because Daddy's not home yet?" Morgan asks, and Peter finally decides to quit insulting her intelligence by pretending everything was okay.

"Yeah, I'm just really scared," he says it with a wet laugh that was way too loud to be genuine, and Morgan responds by taking her tiny hand to wipe the tears away from his cheeks. A motion that she had most likely learned from her father, though she hasn't quite mastered the gentleness and grace of it.

The thought makes Peter almost smile.

"Don't be scared, Daddy always comes back home. He's Iron Man!"

Peter wishes he could believe what Morgan was saying, though his years of being Spiderman has taught him that the good guys don't always win.

Despite his skepticism, Peter offers her a fake grin. "He is Iron Man..."

Morgan nods as if she had solved the problem just like that, and she's quick to drag him back to the couch after she grabs his hand. "Come on, we're missing the movie!"

Peter sits close to Morgan for the rest of the night and tries not to let his worry eat him alive. He plays with the hems of the blanket and wipes away any stray tears that streak his face whenever he thinks Morgan won't notice.

He can't help but feel like this was the calm before the storm, and while there was still no update as to where Tony was, he supposes that ignorance is bliss in a sense.

If Tony was already dead...

Peter bites his lip and forces himself to pay attention to the Disney movie. He lets out a wet laugh when Morgan begins to dance to Colors of the Wind, and he mimics her excitement after Pocahontas and John Smith kiss.

By the end of the film, Morgan is fast asleep and laying across Peter's lap. The small weight is familiar and comforting, and he allows himself to play with the curls on top of Morgan's head as he mechanically controls his breathing. He turns off the television and covers Morgan more security, but he doesn't dare move with the fears that he'll wake her up.

It's five in the morning and Peter has yet to fall asleep or even move from the couch, and it's only then when he gets a text from Pepper.

_'Tony's alright, a little banged up but nothing we haven't seen before. He wanted to call you but he_ _scared_ _to wake you up if you're sleeping.'_

Peter forgets that Morgan is asleep on his lap as he outright sobs in relief. He doesn't hesitate to call the number, and Tony picks up after the first ring.


	2. Fever

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Peter idiotically fights with a high fever, bad things ensue

Frankly, Peter didn't think it was possible for him to catch a fever.

He's in the middle of fighting a giant lizard when he realizes his cough is more serious than he initially anticipated. May had practically begged him to stay in the apartment that evening to rest, but Peter was unable to sit still after he turned on the news and saw what had been happening on Broadway street.

He ignores the pounding in his head and the ache in his stomach as he swings across New York City, and when he finally makes it to where he needs to be, he whistles at the villain to grab his attention.

"Hey Lizard Man, I thought the show was supposed to stay _inside_ the theater."

This admittedly wasn't his best quip, but it because difficult to make witty one-liners as his vision grew more blurry. His body tilts to the side and he has to keep himself upright by holding onto the streetlamp next to him. When he clings on a little too roughly, the pole begins to distort from the force of his grip.

Lizard Man then looks Peter up and down and is clearly unimpressed by Spiderman's arrival. He tries not to be too offended as the villain simply turns around, not bothering to answer back.

Peter tries again, "hey, I'm talking to you!"

Still nothing, Lizard Man continues to leave and knocks a Honda across the street in doing so. When cars begin to honk and screech it messes with Peter's train of thought, and his headache increases tenfold.

After stumbling around to keep up with the Lizard, Peter finally finds his bearings and moves his hand away from the nearest building. Finally, he swings a web in his direction and Lizard Man is captured in seconds.

Peter mentally prides himself for his aim and he can't help but feel giddy, especially when considering he can barely stand or see two feet in front of him.

He runs towards the villain and tries to ignore the fact that his body is sweating in the middle of winter. "Hey man, I don't really know what your deal is but you can't just throw cars like that, someone could get hurt."

Lizard Man grunts in response and continues to move around. Eventually he is able to cut himself free with the claws on his hands and is quick to try and escape. Peter sighs in disappointment and webs him up once more, this time with more fluid.

"Wait so are you actually a Lizard, or is this just a cosplay? Cause if it's the latter, let me tell you- you could have come up with something much cooler."

"You're literally a spider."

Ah, so the Lizard speaks.

Peter continues with the light banter while simultaneously trying not to throw up. "I would say it's pretty fitting, I have the whole sticky thing going for me."

Lizard Man says something else but Peter doesn't hear it as a new wave a nausea rolls off of him. He purposefully sticks his feet to the ground so he doesn't completely fall over, and he closes his eyes to take a deep breath, waiting for the moment to pass over.

Peter is in the middle of a coughing fit when he's punched square in the face.

He hadn't even noticed that the Lizard had broken free from the webs once more, and he distantly wonders why his Spider Sense hadn't gone off. He feels a slimy tail wrap around his neck and it begins to choke him, and black spots dance around his vision. As continuously beaten up, he considers accepting the oblivion as claws scrape down his chest and leave red tracks.

Everything overwhelmingly hurts.

It's not until he's about to pass out that he remembers that he has super strength, and he punches Lizard Man as hard as he possibly can. Both Peter and the villain are unconscious before either of them hit the ground.

~

Peter is less surprised than he should be when he wakes up in the medical wing. He tries to remember what had happened but his thoughts draw to a blank. He feels dazed and delirious in the moment, and he finds that he doesn't exactly care how he had gotten there. He sinks deeper into the fluffy pillow and is about to fall back asleep when he hears someone clear their throat.

"Rise and shine Sleeping Beauty."

Peter begrudgingly opens his eyes, but automatically squeezes them shut after he is hit with flashes of white, artificial lights. It burns his retinas and causes him to let out a moan.

"FRIDAY, bring the lights down to 40%"

He feels rather than sees the shift in ambiance, and Peter opens one eye hesitantly. He only then finds Tony Stark staring back at him.

"Ah, there you are."

Peter offers Tony a lopsided grin. "Good morning Mister Stark."

Tony makes a show to check his Stark watch, and Peter lets out a giggle that he probably would have been embarrassed about if he didn't feel so loopy.

"Wrong. It's one in the morning."

Peter's eyebrows knot together in confusion, and he is unable to understand how that's possible. Tony must be a mind reader because he explains only seconds later.

"You've been out for two days, kid."

With that news, Peter shoots out of bed and immediately regrets the decision as his head begins to swim. Tony jumps out of his seat and positions Peter so he's laying horizontally on the mattress. Then, he takes the palm of his hand and presses it against Peter's forehead. He isn't even ashamed as he physically leans into the touch, letting out a sigh in relief.

"That feels nice."

Tony hums in consideration and brushes his fingers along Peter's curls. It's silent for a few moments and Peter happily welcomes the peace and quiet. Yet when Tony breaks the calm, his voice sounds hoarse.

"You wanna explain to me why you went out as Spiderman with an 110 degree fever?"

Peter opens his eyes at that, not realizing he had closed them to begin with. He takes a better look at Tony and notices an abundance of emotions in his eyes: fear, anger, relief, and something else he couldn't quite identify.

"I don't have a 110 fever, I would be dead."

Tony shakes his head.

"Yeah, that's what I thought too." Now Tony sounded furious, and if Peter were in a more clear state of mind he probably would have felt scared. Instead, he lets out another laugh though he didn't exactly know what was funny.

"It's okay Mister Stark, I'm all good." Peter doesn't realize that his words are slurring together, and Tony pinches the bridge of his nose.

"When you're more aware, you're gonna get the lecture of a lifetime. Just you wait."

"Did I do something wrong?"

Tony sighs and sinks back into his chair.

"Pete, I got a message from Karen saying you were getting choked to death by an artificial lizard tail. First of all, _what does that even mean?"_

Peter simply shrugs, and Tony squints his eyes in disbelief.

"You could have fought that villain with hands tied behind your back. Instead you leave the apartment with a high fever and almost get yourself _killed_ by a class D opponent."

Peter opens his mouth to apologize, but Tony raises his palm in a stop motion. He obediently listens and clamps his jaw shut.

"And then I have to beg the question, how the hell did you have an 110 degree fever and not bother to tell _anyone._ Come on Pete, your aunt's a nurse, she could have helped you... If it weren't for your powers you would have been dead a long time ago, I didn't even know it was possible for your fever to spike that high."

Peter looks up at Tony and grins once more, "well then it's a good thing I'm Spiderman." He says it in a sing-song tone, and Tony rolls his eyes, accepting that there will be no serious conversations taking place tonight.

"Get some sleep kid, I'll talk to you when your brain isn't stir fried."

The mention of stir fry makes Peter's stomach feel queasy, but the thought is quickly forgotten as Tony kisses the top of his sweaty forehead.

Maybe he didn't think Peter would remember in the morning, or maybe Peter really did give everyone a scare this time around. He doesn't know for sure, but warmth blooms in his chest anyway as he closes his eyes in bliss.

~

The next time Peter wakes up he is much more lucid, and both Tony and May yell at him for hours upon end.

He supposes he probably deserves that.


	3. Nightmare

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Even in death, Quentin Beck doesn’t leave Peter alone

Peter knows something is wrong the moment he wakes up.

He shoots out of bed, not remembering when he had fallen asleep to begin with. His Spider Sense is going haywire, but he tries to ignore it as he hesitantly walks to the kitchen. He calls out for May but she is nowhere in sight, and Peter's heart rate speeds up as he checks around the apartment.

He doesn't understand why he feels this way, but the chill coursing through his veins indicates that he wasn't safe here.

Something was wrong.

Peter heads to his bedroom to put on his Spiderman suit, but when he checks the spot he usually hides it the material is no where to be found.

"Looking for this?"

Peter tenses up, but he doesn't turn around because he doesn't need too. He knows that voice, maybe better than he knows his own. It was the voice that has been tormenting him for months upon end. It was the voice that never fails to fill his nightmares.

Finally, Peter finds the courage to look to the man, and when he does unadulterated terror consumes his body and soul.

Quentin Beck offers a smile that shows all of his teeth, and his blue eyes maintain a manic glint that Peter hadn't noticed the first time the two met. It was something he will always hate himself for.

"Peter, it's nice to see you back on your feet."

Peter doesn't respond. He is unable to find his voice as he unconsciously takes a step back, trying to protect himself when he knew there was no possible way.

Beck doesn't seem bothered by the lack of response however. If anything, he looks even more delighted as he lets out a hefty laugh. Then, he holds up a crumbled Spiderman mask in his hands, waving it around in a taunting manner.

"Looking for this," Beck repeats but this time in a sing-song voice, mocking him.

Peter is absolutely petrified.

Beck slowly walks forward until Peter's back is pressed against the wall, and it's only then that he thinks to speak.

"You're dead," Peter tries to convince himself.

Beck hums in consideration, "are you sure about that?"

"You're dead," he repeats with less certainty. Peter doesn't know if he's asking or telling the illusion in front of him, but Beck ignores him anyway.

"I've missed you so much." Beck's hands are now pressed against each of his shoulders and while Peter knows that he has super strength, he has never felt more weak.

"Get out of my head."

Beck only laughs again.

Peter is seconds away from a panic attack. He tries to utilize the counting exercises May has taught him, but they do nothing to calm his hysteria as Quieten Beck begins to whisper in his ear.

"Even dead, I'll always be with you."

That's the last thing Peter hears before he is startled awake once more, this time sleeping on the couch of the lakehouse.

"Everything okay kiddo?"

Unlike before, Peter doesn't hesitate when turning to the voice reaching out to him. When he sees Tony staring back at him with concern in his eyes, he jumps off the sofa and runs into his arms.

"Mister Stark, I can't do this anymore-"

Tony shushes him before he can say more. He feels callused fingers brushing against his hair, and he is so thankful for the touch. He never wants to lose it again.

He knows he will soon.

"It's okay Pete, let's just take a breather, yeah?"

Peter shakes his head, and it takes all of his willpower to push away from Tony's open arms. He stays close enough where the two can still hold each other, but far enough where he can also look at Tony's face and commit it to memory.

When Peter speaks again, his voice is wet and wavering, and if this had been real he would have definitely felt embarrassment from it.

"I don't wanna wake up Mister Stark, I don't think I can."

Tony offers a sad smile and uses the pad of his thumb to wipe a few stray tears away from his face.

"Sure you can, I've never met a kid stronger than you. If anyone can get through this, it's you."

Peter shakes his head again, this time more adamantly. Now he was full out sobbing, saying the things he wish he had while Tony was still alive.

"I just miss you so much, it's not the same without you being here. I- I wish you hadn't died-"

Tony interrupts and tries to make a joke, just how he would have if this were real life. "Hey, better me than you."

That only makes Peter sob more, and Tony's face twists with guilt.

Peter hates the nightmares he has gotten since the Battle of London, especially since they only seem to get worse as time passes by. However, he rather deal with a million illusions of Quentin Beck than this. Tony Stark was way too realistic here, and he felt so alive while standing in front of him that it made Peter feel sick.

By now, he knows that this is nothing but a dream. He knows he's going to wake up in the morning and return to the living nightmare that is his life, always paranoid as to what was real and what was a mind game. It was horrifying to think that Peter would never again be trusting of the world around him.

"I just wish it would have been me."

Now it was Tony who was crying, and Peter quickly joins once more. It warms Peter's heart that the illusion of Tony was willing to cry in front of him, though he knew that it was ridiculous to think like this.

Peter knows he shouldn't, but he pretends for a moment that this is real despite everything in his body telling him not too.

"Don't say that kid, you're going to do amazing things- hell, you already have. You're the best of all of us."

Peter doesn't refute like he wants too. Instead, he hugs Tony and clings on so tightly that if this weren't a dream, he's pretty certain his bones would have cracked from the strength of it.

Tony holds on just as passionately and whispers reassurances into his ear, and Peter thanks his fucked up brain for giving him at least one pleasant dream within the spew of illusions and nightmares.

When he wakes up the next morning, he cannot help but wish he never had.


	4. Blood

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Spiderman doesn’t always save the day

Peter is grateful that May has a night shift at the hospital.

He haphazardly enters his room through the window an hour later than his curfew. Karen had reminded him on multiple occasions that he was breaking the protocol Mister Stark set up, but Peter had paid no mind to it as he hid in the abandoned alleyway, desperately rubbing at the blood that stained his vision.

There had been a fatal car crash that evening with no survivors walking out alive. Peter had felt it coming with his sixth sense but was unable to prevent the two cars from ramming into each other. He had physically dragged the dead bodies out of the wreckage, attempting in vain to save their lives.

When the police finally showed up to the scene they were surprised to see Spiderman still there. Fortunately for Peter, the specific group of officers were fans of his work and had gently pushed him away as a crowd of bystanders began to form.

When he's in the apartment, Peter immediately heads to the bathrooms and strips out of his suit, feeling undeserving to wear the emblem in the moment. He stares at himself in the mirror and takes into account his tear tracks and red rimmed eyes.

Suddenly, he feels disgusted with himself, and all he wants to do is scrub off the stains that seem to paint his entire body red.

He grabs the shower notch and twists it as far as it can go. He doesn't wait for the water to turn hot as he steps in still wearing his boxer shorts. He scrubs everywhere, working himself to hysterics as he tries to clean away his sins.

Time passes by in a haze and Peter doesn't know how long he's been in the shower, but he startles back to awareness when he hears quick yet heavy footsteps approaching him. In any other circumstance he would feel concerned by the sound, but he can't seem to care about anything as he simply stares ahead and waits.

"Peter, where are you?"

Peter recognizes the voice, but he decides to ignore it as he continues to scratch at his skin. He was now sitting in the shower, legs crossed together and arms moving in a repetitive manner.

The door swings open and the shower curtain is pushed to the side seconds later. Peter looks up and sees Tony staring back at him, a look a shock contorting his face.

Tony examines the state that Peter is in and dark recognition seems to dawn on him in an instance. He bursts into action after an uncomfortable beat of silence, and he's quick to turn off the shower by pulling on the handle.

"My god Pete, how long have you been in here?"

Peter doesn't answer. Instead, he continues to rub at his skin in the hopes that he can clean off all of the blood.

Strong, calloused fingers grip at his wrists and gently move his hands away from the forearms he's been pawing at. Then, he feels a soft towel wrap against his shoulders.

"Kid, look at me."

Peter doesn't want to, but he's never been one to deny Tony Stark. He reaches eye contact and distantly notices the pure concern that take over Tony's features, and he distantly thinks about how it makes him look older.

"What are you doing in here?" Tony finally asks in a forced, light tone.

It takes a moment for Peter to find his voice, and when he does he's surprised by how hoarse it sounds even to his own ears.

"I- I wanted to get the blood off." Peter abruptly cuts himself off after he says the few words because he doesn't know how else to explain it without breaking down. Luckily, Tony somehow understands.

The man takes a deep, measured breath before working to get both himself and Peter out of the shower. He examines the boy's skin and notices red scratch marks all around, and his heart fully constricts at the sight. The water was at the highest setting it could possibly go too, and the heat had clearly irritated Peter's skin while he was in the process of taking a shower. Red marks and scratches takes up the majority of his skin, yet Tony tries to ignore it as best as he can for Peter's sake.

He doesn't know how Peter had reached this unhinged state of mind, but he forces himself to not to let the worry show on his face as he grabs a first aid kit. He then begins to bandage the red marks and Peter doesn't make a sound throughout the process.

When Tony finally grows the courage to ask what happened, he is surprised that Peter actually decides to share with him. He stays at the Parker apartment for the rest of the night, offering comfort and reassurances as well as making sure Peter didn't cause any more unintentional harm on himself.

He's grateful that Karen had informed him of Peter's mental state, but he's even more thankful that Peter was now safe.

The next morning when Peter wakes up, he is mortified by his actions and apologizes profoundly. Tony ignores them all and stays by Peter's side as he mourns and grieves for the lives that were lost in the car crash.


	5. Intruder

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tony gets a call saying his child is in danger, the question is: which one?

Tony ignores the anonymous phone call the first two times it rings.

He's ready to block the number when he gets another call, and something in his gut tells him that he needs to answer it. What he had initially presumed to be a sales call had been much too persistent to consider as innocent.

Tony finally answers in fury, "Who are you and how the hell do you have my number?"

"Anthony Stark, it's about time."

Tony immediately stiffens at the use of his full name, and he wordlessly signals FRIDAY to begin tracking the unknown caller as he heads straight for his Iron Man suit.

"Who are you?" he asks again, this time with more demand.

"That information is not important."

Tony groans in response, "then why-"

"We're taking your child."

Tony's heart drops at the statement, and he feels a combination of fear and rage consume his body. He focuses on the latter emotion as he begins to leave the lake house, not exactly sure where he was headed.

"Stay away from her."

The man only laughs. "Maybe you should keep better track of your belongings, and that's the last thing says before the line is cut off.

Tony thinks about the little information he was given. He knows that the mysterious caller was in the process of taking his little girl, meaning that there was still time to prevent it.

Though he pauses for a second, confused by their motive. It would make more sense for them to kidnap Morgan before contacting Tony; the decision was counter productive on their part. The man on the other end of the line sounded much too calm and collected, like he already knew he had the upper hand.

The last time he had seen Morgan was when he dropped her off for school that morning. Tony prays to whatever god is up there that the man wasn't bluffing when he said that they hadn't kidnapped Morgan yet. If he could stop the intruders from breaking into the elementary school, then he would have nothing to worry about.

Tony wasn't confident with his lead, but he didn't have time to form a better plan. He pushes any doubts he has as he increases the speed of his blasters.

When he finally makes it to the school, he doesn't bother to be careful as he shatters the window. Children scream in both terror and delight when seeing Iron Man in the building, yet the teacher looks shell shocked at the sight before her. Tony pays no mind to the chaos as he makes he way toward the front of the classroom.

"I'm looking for Morgan Stark."

The teacher blinks at him with her mouth agape and Tony huffs out a sigh in annoyance, impatiently waiting for her to pull herself together. Eventually, she finds her bearings, "she should be in room 108."

Tony is running before she finishes the sentence, and a few of the kids attempt to follow before the teacher drags them back to the classroom. He doesn't bother to thank her.

When Tony finally finds the room he barges in unannounced, attempting to catch his breath while simultaneously scanning the new group of children. At last he sees his daughter safe and sound, and Tony feels the world begin to rotate once more.

Morgan was safe.

"Daddy!" She runs up and Tony doesn't hesitate to hold her close to his side. He picks her up and she lets out a squeal in excitement.

"What are you doing here?"

"Yeah, what are you doing here," the teacher interrupts. Tony looks over to see her glaring in his direction, and he offers a charming smile that he often gives to press.

"Sorry for the interruption, I'll be taking Morgan home early today."

The teacher looks unimpressed, "you have to sign her out at the main office, it's school policy."

Tony rolls his eyes but does as she orders. He supposes he's caused enough commotion anyhow, and it was the least he could do.

He heads to the office and takes a picture with the secretary before leaving the building with Morgan tightly secured in his arms. No one was taking her away from him.

Meanwhile, Morgan tells him all about her day as if they hadn't just seen each other just three hours ago. Tony nods along and hums in acknowledgement when necessary, but he can't help but feel as if something was still wrong.

It had been way too easy to find Morgan, Tony couldn't even call it a success when there had been no threat to begin with.

He ponders on it, trying to figure out what he was missing. It's not until he tunes back into to what Morgan was saying when it all comes together, and Tony knows he messed up.

"After school Peter said he was going to help me with my math homework, do you think he'll-"

Pure horror causes a chill to rake through Tony's body, and he suddenly feels like he's going to throw up.

_Peter._

~

Midtown was stuck in school lockdown, and it took all of Peter's willpower not to sneak out of the classroom and deal with the threat himself. He had his Spiderman suit stuffed in the bottom of his book bag, yet he was certain he could have the situation under control in mere minutes if it weren't for all of the witnesses around him.

Instead, he uselessly sits there with the rest of the students, hiding behind the makeshift barricade of desks and chairs. Peter tries to ignore the cries and whimpers coming from his other classmates and seriously debates climbing out the window when know one was looking.

He's about to follow through until he feels a hand desperately grabbing onto his arm. Ned stares at him with wide, terrified eyes and adamantly shakes his head like he knew exactly what Peter was thinking.

"You can't go out there, they have guns."

Peter opens his mouth to comfort him, to remind Ned that he has guns firing at him every night, but then the speakers turn on and a new voice fills the room that definitely wasn't the secretary.

"Peter Parker to the main office, I repeat, only Peter Parker to the main office."

Ned grips Peter's arm so tightly that it begins to hurt.

When the speakers shut off, Mr. Bowman heads straight to their direction and bends down so he and Peter were at eye level.

"Do you have any idea what this is about?"

Peter shakes his head and moves to stand up.

"No, but I can find out."

The teacher squints his eyes, "absolutely not, you will stay right here."

"Come on Bowman- let him go, he'll probably be fine."

Ned curses Flash under his breath, and Peter lets out a soft chuckle despite how dire the situation is.

"Inappropriate Mr. Thompson. No one is leaving this classroom- sit back down."

Peter doesn't give up yet. He knows that Mr. Bowman will never let him go to the main office so he tests a different approach.

"Let me escape through the window so I at least won't be in the building, I don't know what they want but clearly I'm the target- me leaving means safety for all of you."

"We don't know that for sure. That breaks lockdown protocol-"

"They have guns out there, we can't just _sit_ here... People could die today."

"Mr. Parker-"

"You have a _son_." Peter knows its a low blow to start talking about family, but he needs Mr. Bowman to understand. "How old did you say he was, eight? He needs his father and we can't afford to lose people because those intruders want one person."

Mr. Bowman clearly isn't convinced but he also stays quiet for a moment, thinking through Peter's words. That's progress, and he drives his point relentlessly.

"Please Mr. Bowman, if a student dies, that's a child a parent outlives... It's safer for everyone this way."

Maybe he sees something in Peter's eyes, or maybe he actually believes in what he was saying. Peter isn't certain, but after what feels like a lifetime the teacher is nodding and pushing him to the nearest window.

"Run as fast as you can and don't look back."

Peter breathes a sigh of relief and moves straight into action. "thank you sir, you won't regret this."

"Just go before I change my mind- class, sit down, nobody follow him."

Peter climbs out the window and thanks fate itself for allowing the classroom to be on the first floor. At least he didn't have to answer questions later.

He runs to the nearest alleyway and strips out of his clothes in seconds. Once he has his suit and webshooters on, he runs back to Midtown, ready for a fight.

Spiderman has the intruders handled by the time Iron Man shows up.


	6. Fire

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tony helps Peter after he gets injured from a house fire.

Tony's heart shatters when he hears Peter hiss out in pain, and he tries to be more gentle when soaking the wound in water.

Peter had called him in the middle of the night and asked if he could help with his third degree burns. Meanwhile, Tony had practically begged him to stay where he was, not wanting Peter to injure himself more than he already had. He was in is Iron suit searching for the kid in mere minutes, desperate to find Peter.

When Tony finally sees him tucked behind a dumpster, it makes sense why he uncharacteristically reached out. His entire body looked as if it were thrown into a fire with third degree burns scattering his middle torso and suit, and Tony thinks that if most of the damage weren't on his back he probably would have attempted to treat them himself.

He asks how it had happened, partly because he was curious but mostly because Peter looked ready to pass out in seconds, and Tony wasn't ready to see his eyes close in this condition. He was already panicking enough, holding his breath with Peter whenever the boy let out a particularly pained whine or moan.

Surprisingly (or maybe not), Peter is quite chatty despite being burnt all over. He jumps right into an explanation and delves into a long-winded story about a family of five he saved from a house fire that evening.

Initially, Tony was going to yell at him, explain the importance of self-preservation as hypocritical as it was coming from him. He was still planning to do exactly that, but he makes a last minute decision to save the lecture for tomorrow.

He couldn't be more proud of Peter, and he tells him exactly so.

Peter pauses in the middle of his story to spin around with wide eyes. The water next to his side threatens to tip over, but Peter catches it just in time with the help from his sixth sense that Tony had only recently learned about.

"Wait, seriously?"

Tony blinks back at him, confused by Peter's shock.

"Yeah, you did good tonight with that family.... I'm proud of you."

To that, Peter lets out a smile that brightens the entire room, though it clenches into a grimace as Tony begins to apply ointment on a particularly harsh wound. Even in immense pain, his eyes still sparkle with a combination of excitement and pride.

"Thanks Mister Stark."

Tony is confused by the reaction but tries not to question it too much. Peter acts as if Tony was never proud of him, and the way he keeps turning back even after he's ridiculed to sit still suggests that he's not used to the positive reinforcement either.

He thinks back on their relationship and all of the conversations they've had in the past. Maybe Tony hasn't been vocal enough with his admiration for the kid, and he decides in the moment that he wants to change that.

However, right when he begins to express just how much Peter means to him, he hesitates in finishing the sentence.

They have time to grow closer, and Tony was confident that there was no need to force things now. After all, he didn't want to scare the kid away when he was in the middle of treating his wounds.

Instead, Tony simply focuses on the third degree burns as Peter jumps into a different story about an old lady who hit him with a purse that afternoon. Tony laughs and watches in amazement as the burns heal right before his eyes.

Yeah, they had time.

~

Exactly a month later, Tony will always regret not expressing to Peter just how much he loves and cares for him. Tony sits alone with a glass of whiskey in his hands, staring at a photograph he and Peter took a couple months prior for the Stark Internship. Both of them have their hands up, giving one another bunny ears as they pulled ridiculous faces for the camera.

Tony thinks about that day, and he can practically see Peter's delight when seeing his name on the glorified piece of paper. He remembers making fun of him after the photo was captured, saying how only Peter would manage to hold his award upside down when smiling for the camera.

Peter has asked if they could take another one but Tony adamantly refused, claiming that the one they had was perfect. Peter grinned from ear to ear that day, and Tony's breath caught at the sight of his eyes crinkling in the corners.

Tony then thinks back on the night of the fire. Peter in his superhero glory, hot burns covering his entire body and sweat damping his hair. It was clear that he had been in pain that night judging from the tenseness of his shoulders and the slight waver in his voice as he told his stories, but the boy had been so happy at the same time after saving that family from the fire.

He distantly wonders if any of the family members had survived the snap, though he supposes it doesn't matter anymore.

Tony takes another sip of whiskey, hating himself for assuming he and Peter had time.


	7. Kidnap

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tony is used to being kidnapped, but this time it's different.  
> This time they have Peter.

To say Tony was pissed would be the understatement of the century.

He was used to dealing with kidnappings, it's become the norm throughout his years as being Iron Man. In fact, there had been more occasions than he could count where Tony was captured and tied up by the hands of a wannabe super villain of the week.

These procedures had become so frequent that both Rhodey and Pepper had grown immune to the ransom notes, simply laughing it off and locating Tony's whereabouts by the end of the evening.

This kidnapping should have been no different, nothing more than an opportunity to egg on some captors for a few hours, maybe leave with a bruise or cut.

But this time Peter was standing in front of him, secured through leather cuffs that Tony knew for certain he could break out of in two seconds flat. The only thing stopping him from tearing off the leather and bursting into action was the gun pressed against his temple, and Tony was _pissed_.

He was also terrified, uncertain of how he was going to save Peter from this situation, because there was no way he was dying tonight. Losing Peter was never an option.

He ignores the uncertainty stirring in his gut as he offers the best glare he could muster, "I don't even know the kid, you're wasting your time keeping him here."

"Stark Industries indicates Mr. Parker here as your personal intern since 2017, care to elaborate on that?"

Tony forces himself to lean back, creating an aura of indifference.

"I have plenty of interns for my company, doesn't mean that I care about any of them."

The lie was far fetched and even Tony realized it. He takes a measured breath and tries to push down the panic taking over his thoughts, and he was almost grateful for the leather bounds keeping his wrists and feet taunt together, it easily hid his trembling hands.

"You have ten seconds to give us the password before we put a bullet through your intern's head."

And that was the main problem, he had no idea what 'password' the captors were even talking about. If they had been asking for money or weapons, Tony would have handed it over the second they aimed the gun at Peter.

Unfortunately, the idiots refused to give any information on what they were working for, going as far to say that Tony was bluffing when he claimed that he didn't know anything.

He makes eye contact with Peter and almost laughs out loud when he sees the boy rolling his eyes, clearly aggravated with the men as well.

Peter, bless his soul, was completely silent during the exchange, just how Tony had not so subtly demanded when he first entered the cell. He had his eyes trained on Tony the entire time, waiting for permission to begin fighting.

Every so often, Tony would shake his head, internally begging Peter to let him handle the situation for once in his life. While he did not seem pleased to fill the role as damsel in distress, he begrudgingly accepted and kept his jaw firmly shut even when the captors attempted to pry information out of him.

While Peter didn't seem afraid to the outside eye, it was obvious to Tony that the kid was frightened as well. His eyes were unnaturally wide and his chest would rise and fall in a pace that was much too mechanical to be natural. He was keeping his breaths under control in the hopes to prevent having a panic attack, and Tony couldn't help but feel impressed with his overall composure.

That is before the captor brings his attention back to the conversation, "we need the password Stark."

The guard rams the butt of the gun at Peter's head and he flinches back as a result. It was clear that they were running out of time.

It isn't often that Tony is left speechless, completely lost on what to do. At the last possible second, he decides that he needs to lie even if it makes the situation worse later. At the very least it would be a stall for time.

"The password is Virginia."

The room is completely quiet for a moment, and he watches as Peter's jaw drops from the corner of his eye. Tony fills the silence once more, not having to try too hard to sound resigned.

"The password is Virginia, you got what you want- now let the boy go."

"Virginia like the state?" One of the guards asks, and Tony rolls his eyes.

"No, Virginia like my _wife_ you idiot."

The three men lock eyes with one another, debating if they should believe in Tony's confession. What Tony presumes to be the leader finally lets go of Peter then, dropping him to the floor with a loud thud, and Tony actually begins to cry in relief after that. He would deny it later if anyone asked.

The man walks forward and bends down so he is at eye level with Tony. "If you're lying to us, we'll come back and shoot the boy on the spot. Last chance to tell us the truth."

Tony fights the urge to spit in the man's face, instead he allows some of the fear show in his eyes. "Put Virginia as the password and I promise you'll have what you want."

The man examines Tony, and he must see the desperation on his face because he finally turns to leave.

"Alright men, lets put this show on the road."

All of the guards walk out of the cell one by one, a rookie mistake. When the door slams shut, Tony takes his first real breath since Peter had entered the room and scrambles towards his direction.

"Pete, come here kiddo, let me see you for a second."

Peter also drops his act, and he crawls over to Tony with an intense look in his eyes. He appears simultaneously younger and older than he is, and the realization breaks Tony's heart.

"Mister Stark, are you okay? What was that password for?" Tony lets out a shaky breath, trying to gain control of the situation for Peter's sake.

"The hell if I know, we need to escape before they realize I made it up... Think you can get us out of here Spiderman?"

Peter genuinely smiles for the first time that night, and it causes Tony to pause in his tracks. The strong surge of love for the boy allows his mind to go blank for a second, and he can't help but smile back.

"I thought you'd never ask."

There were a lot of mistakes this specific group of kidnappers made tonight. For one, they left Peter and himself unintended while testing out the password. That allowed Peter to break out of the leather bounds and crush the cell lock in less than a minute.

Tony wasn't even surprised by their mishap however, if they were gullible enough to believe that he would set a password as simple-minded as Virginia, then they were bound to make other careless mistakes.

They also forgot to blindfold Tony when they had initially led him to the holding cell. While he had been drugged at the time, he was able to navigate the building nevertheless. Tony leads the way, allowing Peter to have some fun by taking down whatever guards cross their path.

Tony and Peter escape after ten minutes, making there way to the medbay to treat up some minor injuries. When the two were far away from the captors, Tony pauses their journey home and pulls the kid into a hug, relishing in the rise and fall of Peter's chest.

"That was kinda scary Mister Stark," Peter shakily admits, and Tony only holds him tighter.

The most detrimental mistake the kidnappers made was taking Peter Parker and expecting there to not be repercussions.

Tony heads back to the building later that night, this time in his Iron Man suit and ready for revenge.


	8. Pain

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Peter takes a bullet for Clint Barton and Tony isn't happy about it

Peter wakes up in pain.

He doesn't remember how he passed out to begin with, but he startles into awareness when he hears screaming and commotion from all around. He keeps his eyes closed yet focuses on the voices, unable to pinpoint who they belong too.

"Press down on the wound."

"What do you think I'm doing."

"You're making it worse, switch positions with me and call for a signal instead- try to get Stark to pick up."

At the mention of Tony, Peter begins to open his eyes, expecting to see the man hovering over his shoulder like he always does whenever Peter was hurt. Instead, he meets the eyes of Clint Barton, examining him with a combination of fear and relief.

"Hey kid, good to see your eyes open," Peter wonders if he was imagining the guilt in Clint's voice, but he doesn't give it too much of a thought.

Peter begins to sit up before he feels two hands pushing him back. Then, Black Widow peers down at him with disapproval in her eyes. "Quit moving around, you're going to make this worse for yourself."

Peter doesn't understand what she's talking about, though before he can ask he feels a surge of pain filter through his torso. He lets out a pained yelp and begins to examine the injury, but Natasha catches his chin before he can take a good look.

"And don't look unless you absolutely have to. Got it?"

Peter blinks up at her, trying to understand the bite in her words. Fatigue distracts Peter from responding and he lets his eyes naturally fall shut, getting ready to sleep.

That is until someone insistently pokes at his cheek, and he lets out a groan.

"Nap time is over Spidey, we need you awake."

Peter chooses to ignore the demands and instead falls back into sweet oblivion. The pain was impossible to handle, and he didn't understand why he had to stay alert when black spots danced over his vision.

The next time Peter wakes up, the taste of copper fills his mouth. He double checks to make sure he has all of his teeth by using the roof of his tongue, and even that feels heavy. The pain in his stomach has become overbearing at this point, and he can't think past the fog in his brain.

How did he get here?

He tries to remember before, and he vaguely recalls Natasha and Clint being next to him. He glances up and sees the two in question, both leaning forward and pressing down at his side. Their mouths were moving but he couldn't understand what they were saying.

He notices blood staining both of their hands, and Peter was pretty certain it was his own. The realization helps him finally find his voice.

"What happened?"

Both Natasha and Clint snap their heads in his direction, looking shocked to see him conscious so soon.

"Don't worry about it little spider," Natasha says, brushing his concerns aside and pulling herself together in mere seconds. Peter shakes his head at that, but when he goes to argue he chokes on his own blood instead.

Natasha moves into action, adjusting his body so Peter was now sitting up. The change in position causes a stinging sensation that Peter doesn't think he's ever felt before, and he suddenly feels the need to throw up.

He warns neither Natasha or Clint as he pukes out the remaining of his lunch, and that combined with the putrid smell of blood makes Peter feel dizzy. He lets out a moan and tries to apologize, but the words are unintelligible even to his own ears.

Surprisingly, Natasha shushes him and combs his blood matted curls away of his face, an act of such gentleness that he didn't think the assassin could possess.

"Relax, help is on its way."

Peter nods in response, trying to ignore the shivers that consume his body. Everything hurts.

"Stark's gonna kill us."

"He'll only kill us if this kills _him_ , and that's not happening."

"We don't know what internal wounds the kid has, it could get worse before it gets better."

"Try calling Tony again and see if- hey, _Peter_. Eyes open."

Fingers snap in his face and Peter begrudgingly opens his eyes, not realizing he had closed him to begin with. The pain feels stronger somehow, and when he begins to cough it's like a knife is jabbing him with each chest spasm. He then distantly feels someone rubbing his back.

"Good job, let it all out."

"I'm so sorry kid."

Peter fazes in and out of consciousness once more, no longer concerned about staying awake and only focused on getting rid of the all consuming pain. Before he completely falls out of it he listens to Clint's voice echo in his ear, though he didn't think he was talking to him.

"I got a signal from Stark."

If Peter didn't have superhearing he probably wouldn't have heard the sigh in relief from Natasha.

"Put him on speaker."

Peter finally lets himself fall asleep after that. Tony was on his way, and the thought made him feel safe enough to drift away from the chaos.

~

Peter wakes up in pain, a feeling that he has become accustomed too these past few hours.

But this time when he comes to full awareness, he's laying in the med bay with Tony by his side, sleeping on the waiting chair. The way his neck is bent forward makes Peter feel pity for the man, and he can only imagine the neck pains he's going to have in the morning.

Peter debates waking him up, but he doesn't know if it would be inconsiderate. On one hand, he doesn't remember anything that happened, and he was itching to ask Mister Stark for details.

But on the other, Tony didn't get much sleep as it was, and Peter supposed it would be selfish to rouse him in this hour.

In the end, Peter doesn't need to make a decision, Tony wakes up after five minutes and shoots out of the chair in an instance. His back is completely rigid and his chest rises and falls in a quick, brisk pace as if it were difficult to breathe. After a few seconds, he closes his eyes and leans back into the seat, letting out a wet sigh.

"Is everything alright Mister Stark?" Peter eventually asks with a croak in his voice.

Tony's eyes shoot open at the sound. Then, he's leaning forward and clasping on to Peter's hand like it was a lifeline.

" _Peter_ ," he says like a prayer.

Peter is confused by the sentiment, but he happily accepts the physical contact and offers Tony a shy smile.

"So how bad did I mess up this time?"

The relief in Tony's eyes quickly evaporates into a stern look, and Peter instantly regrets asking.

"Saying you 'messed up' would be generous- Pete, you _willingly_ let yourself get shot, taking a bullet for Clint. What the hell were you thinking?"

Peter furrows his eyebrows, somehow even more confused. It didn't make any sense for Tony to be mad at him for saving a life

"I was helping a teammate," Peter answers. Tony's face darkens at the response.

"Maybe, but you were being careless with your own life. You can't be this reckless when you're fighting with the Avengers."

"Look, I get why you're mad at me-"

"I'm _furious_ at you-"

" _But_ it's all fine now, the bullet wound is fixed and I'll be good as new in a couple days tops. No need to be upset over it."

Tony looks enraged, red in the face and ready to punch a wall. Peter bites down a sigh and prepares for another lecture.

He may not remember the battle, but he knows that he would make the same exact decision if he were given the option. Clint was a father after all, and his family needed him. While Peter didn't have a death wish, it would be selfish to assume his life was more important than any one of the Avengers.

And he tells Tony exactly so, not his best idea in hindsight.

"Peter, you're not _exp_ _e_ _ndable_."

"I never said I was, you're not even _listening_ to me."

"Oh I'm listening, but I don't care who it is you're trying to save, if it risks your life then you stay out of it."

"Any of the Avengers would have done the same thing."

" _No they wouldn't."_

Peter falters then, unsure what Tony was implying. "What do you mean?"

Tony sighs, thinking carefully on his next words. "The Avengers have... a history. One that isn't always as heroic as you may think. It may be resolved now, but I'm not sure if Captain America would be jumping to take a bullet for me."

"But would you take one for him?"

Tony appears taken aback by the question, and he hesitates the slightest bit before responding, "that isn't important."

Peter considers this for a moment before shaking his head, "history or not, I'm not going to watch someone die if I can prevent it."

"That isn't your responsibility."

"You're not going to convince me otherwise."

"You not allowed to throw yourself into danger like that!"

"Mister Stark-"

" _I can't lose you."_

Both Tony and Peter seem taken aback by the confession, and any refutation Peter was about to spew out is quickly forgotten. Tony leans back and covers his face with the palm of his hands, accepting defeat.

"You're too young, too _good_ , to die from a mission like that. Pete, I was losing my mind when Natasha said you were down. If it weren't for your healing factor you would have-" He cuts himself off, voice wavering in the end.

"I can't lose you," he repeats, this time softer.

The idea that Tony Stark worried about Peter was hard to wrap his head around. Still, he extends his hand so it touches Tony's forearm, offering weak comfort.

"I'll try and be more careful, I'm sorry."

Tony gives a soft smile in return, moving his hand so it rests on top of Peter's. "I guess I shouldn't expect any less from you, huh? One day you're going to give me a heart attack."

A giggle rises out of Peter, and the sound causes a genuine smile to form on Tony's face.

There's no real resolution to the fight, for Peter was still going to throw himself into danger and Tony was always going to fret over him. The thought should have caused Peter to feel annoyed.

Instead, it made his heart blossom at the realization that the man actually cared for him.


	9. Fall

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> People struggle to adjust after being Blipped for five yeras, and Spiderman tries to help.
> 
> WARNING: Mention of suicide

Peter had been acting weird tonight.

It started when he showed up at the lake house two hours late. Tony had asked what was wrong the moment the kid walked through the door, but Peter refused to respond or even look him in the eyes as he made a beeline for the nearest bathroom.

He had initially been excited to come over for the weekend; it was something that he and Tony had planned for weeks in advance. School had just started again, and it had become difficult for the two to see each other on a regular basis now that Tony lived so far away.

Nevertheless, Peter always tried to swing to the lake house as frequent as possible to visit the Stark family and Tony did the same, spontaneously heading out to Queens to check up on the kid.

Ever since Peter had come back from the Blip, Tony was desperate to make up for the lost five years where the boy had been missing. Just seeing him in the near vicinity made Tony smile from ear to ear, and he promised himself to never again take his presence for granted.

But now, Tony watches with concern as Peter picks at the leftovers, clearly distracted with whatever was running through his head.

"Wanna tell me what's going on kiddo?"

Peter looks up from his Kraft mac and cheese, not noticing that Tony had been in the room to begin with.

"I'm okay," he says with a waver in his voice. Tony squints his eyes in return.

"You wanna try that again?"

Peter gulps and looks to the side, attempting to hide the sudden grief in his eyes. "I'm _fine_." 

"Is it something to do with school?" Tony presses on knowing the transition back to Midtown had been a tough one to cope with, especially with all the new students that filled the halls.

Any person who was Blipped had displacement issues, uncertain how to move forward after missing five years of their lives. This was something Tony consciously worked against, doing everything in his power to ensure that Peter was feeling comfortable despite the unfamiliarity of the new world around him.

Peter shakes his head anyway, and Tony tries again.

"Is it something with Spiderman?"

Peter hesitates before nodding. Bingo.

Tony is tempted to ask for details, but he refrains from doing so when he witnesses Peter begin to curl into himself. He knows that Peter will eventually confide to him, Tony just needed to be patient and let him share on his own terms.

With that thought in mind, he changes the topic of discussion and asks if he wants to watch a movie. Peter visibly perks up at the suggestion, and Tony breathes out a sigh of relief.

Because Morgan was asleep, Peter was able to choose the movie for the night. He picks Empire Strikes Back without a second thought, and Tony can't help but laugh at the predictability of it.

Tony pays special attention to the way Peter yearns for physical contact that night, leaning into his personal space more so than usual. He wraps an arm around Peter and allows him to rest his head on top of his shoulders. He combs fingers through Peter's hair working to get him to fall asleep, though it doesn't work.

By the end of the movie, Peter is still wide awake, eyes trained to the TV but not processing the story line he knew all too well.

When the credits eventually roll around, Peter stretches obnoxiously and offers a fake yawn,  
"I think I'm going to head to bed now, thanks for watching the movie with me Mister Stark."

He pretends to believe the lie, allowing Peter to climb up their stairs with his head tucked down.

Tony sighs, and decides to ask again tomorrow morning.

~

As it turns out, Tony doesn't need to wait until sunrise. He wakes up to someone lightly tugging on his shirt, and when he opens his eyes he's met with the silhouette of Peter Parker.

"I need help."

He whispers the words, but the pain is so blatantly there and it causes Tony to lose any traces of slumber. He only then shoots out of bed to lead Peter out of the bedroom so they wouldn't wake up Pepper.

Once they're in the kitchen, Tony begins to make hot chocolate, knowing that it would calm him down just the slightest bit. Now that there was light, Tony could see deep bags and tear tracks under his eyes, and the sight caused his heart to ache even more.

He waits until the hot chocolate is ready before he begins to asks questions.

"So what happened tonight?"

And finally, after waiting for hours upon end, Peter shares.

"There was this girl..." He halts his story and it takes all of Tony's willpower not to fill in the silence. Instead, he waits for Peter to gather his thoughts.

"She was standing at the edge of the roof- and I tried to talk her out of it but she wouldn't listen to me."

"Oh Pete." Dread courses through Tony's veins and he suddenly understands why he had been so distant tonight. Peter continues on, seeming unable to stop now that he was talking for the first time that evening.

"She jumped but I caught her before anything could happen, and then I called the ambulance and she was really mad at me."

"You did the right thing," Tony ensures, but Peter simply shakes his head.

"She was one of the people who were Blipped- she said her husband left for a new woman and she had nowhere to go."

Tony forces to not let his emotions show on his face despite his heart racing. He doesn't know how well of a job he does.

"But you still saved her tonight, you did everything you could."

Peter's eyes glisten with unshed tears as he takes a shaky breath.

"I don't know, I guess sometimes its just hard to think about. You wouldn't believe how many people are homeless on the streets, and I try to do everything I can as Spiderman but I feel like it's not enough... I mean, the woman had a suicide note and everything, and she gave it to me thinking no one else would care to even read it- I just wish I could do more, like the way you've done so much."

Peter looks at him as if Tony possessed all of the answers, and the pure faith he had made Tony want to hold him close and shield the boy away from all sorrows of the world, hide him from the darkness he should never feel so responsible for.

He knows its impossible, so instead he offers empty sympathies.

"You can't help everyone Pete."

"I know that, I guess today just kinda got to me, that's all."

He then pulls out a crumbled piece a paper from his pajama pocket and gestures it to Tony with a trembling hand. The message on it is short and straight to the point, and somehow it makes it worse to read.

_People aren't supposed to be resurrected._   
  
_\- Cara_

The words are written in sloppy handwriting, and Tony reads it three times before giving the note back.

Before Peter can pull away however, Tony grabs onto his hand as if to prove to himself that he was here by his side.

It's silent for a minute, but when Peter begins to speak again he sounds nervous.

"I think I'm going to go visit her tomorrow, see how she's doing... Mister Stark, I know this is a lot to ask-"

"Of course I'll come with you."

Peter's head snaps up, and a look of pure shocks contorts his face.

"How did you know I was going to say that?"

Tony shrugs, "You forget how well I know you."

Peter finally lets out the breath he's been holding, and his shoulders visibly sag in relief as he relaxes in his chair.

"Thanks- I'm sorry for waking you up in the middle of the night."

Tony brushes off the useless apology and leads him to bed. He lays next to Peter and positions themselves so they're tucked against each other, and he'll never _not_ be grateful for the contact.

Never again at least.

He waits until Peter's breaths even out and it's not until then that he began to drift off himself, preparing himself for tomorrow.


	10. Graceless

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Peter attends his first gala, and someone is a little too interested in Tony Stark's intern.
> 
> WARNING: minor sexual harassment

Peter glares at himself in the mirror while trying to adjust his tie so it wasn't so lopsided, yet after the fifth attempt and fail he lets out an annoyed huff and starts over. Before he can get very far however, he is distracted by a knock at the door.

"You ready to go Pete?"

Peter looks at himself again, determined to look as presentable as he can. Tony had invited him to a huge press event, and Peter had literally bounced off the walls when he had nonchalantly asked him to be his plus one. While he wasn't exactly sure how he had even been considered to attend the gala, he was grateful nevertheless.

"Yeah, yeah- uh, yeah, just give me a minute." He says while scrambling to fix his tie, and he groans when the fabric once again falls apart.

"Everything okay in there?"

Peter offers a noncommittal hum, and he hears Tony give a small sigh through the door.

"Alright, I'm coming in."

"Wait no- it's okay-"

In mere seconds the door swings open and Tony barges into the bathroom. He examines Peter's appearance, with his hair neatly gelled over with a ridiculous amount of product and his blue tie swinging around his neck haphazardly.

Tony doesn't bother to hide his endearment.

"Need assistance?" He asks with a shit-eating grin.

Peter lets out an embarrassed chuckle, then nods his head hesitantly.

"If you don't mind... May usually does it for me."

Tony walks over and completely starts over, looping the tie together so it hung securely around his neck in the matter of seconds. He comically peers down at his handiwork, placing his fingers against his chin and rubbing at his goatee.

"Not too shabby if I do say so myself." Peter lets out a real laugh this time and Tony notes with pride at the way the kid's shoulders seems to loosen, and he appears more relaxed than a few minutes prior.   
He then makes a show of checking his watch.

"Alright, if we head out now we'll approximately be one hour late," Tony pauses and shoots Peter a wink, "Happy's waiting for us outside."

With that Tony turns and begins to make his way towards the elevator, yet pauses when he hears no footsteps trailing behind him.

Peter is staring at his reflection with a skeptic look, brushing invisible wrinkles off of his suit jacket. Tony lets out another sigh and trudges back so he's right behind Peter. He then clamps his hands on each of his shoulders and gives them a soft squeeze.

"I'll be by your side the entire night, you don't have to worry about a thing."

A combination of trepidation and relief glistens in Peter's eyes, and he glances at Tony with a calculated look through the mirror, "are you sure?"

"Of course I'm sure."

Peter considers this for a moment, and he must hear the genuineness in Tony's words because he stands taller after that. Then, he lets out a smile that reaches his eyes, and Tony swears he'll never get used to the sight even after all these years.

"Okay, I'm ready."

~

At first, the event goes much better than Peter had expected.

Tony keeps his promise and stays by his side, always formally introducing Peter to whatever businessman they were chatting with and sometimes even tucking an arm around his shoulders, offering silent comfort.

Peter appreciates the gesture, and he tries not to embarrass himself too much whenever he is addressed by someone. He spits out rehearsed answers about interning for Stark Industries and seems to have everyone fooled despite his clear stutter throughout the night.

At one point Tony drags him to the bar, hiding in a corner where no one can bother the two of them. He orders Peter an apple juice, and himself a cocktail.

Meanwhile Peter looks around, carefully examining the ballroom. There were glass chandeliers, rich marble floors, and a live jazz band playing on the stage. He felt a little out of his element, not used to the glitz and glam of it all. Women wore long, evening dresses that had to have cost _at least_ a month of rent, while men wore the fanciest of tuxes.

Peter was thankful that Tony had let him borrow a suit from his own closet, and he thinks he would have felt self-conscious if he dressed in his own attire that he wore from homecoming.

Tony suddenly pulls him out of his thoughts as he hands him the apple juice and takes a sip of his own drink, "how are you enjoying your first gala?"

"I like it a lot!" Peter says out of politeness. In all honesty, he wasn't exactly sure how he felt yet. He didn't necessarily hate it...

Tony lets out his first genuine laugh of the night, and Peter can tell from the way his smile curves in the corners.

"Yeah, I hate them too. Let's give it another half hour so Pepper doesn't yell at me and then we can ditch. Maybe go to that one deli spot you like so much, you think it's still open?"

Peter perks up at that, already counting down the seconds from when they could leave. "Yeah, that sounds perfect!"

Tony grins wide and clinks their glasses together, "cheers to that, now come on- I need to talk to two more people before we head out. Your official job as my intern is to stop me from gauging my eyes out before then."

Peter laughs, letting out a snort that earns a weird look from a nearby couple. He chooses to ignore them.

"No promises Mister Stark."

"I always knew you were a heathen."

Peter opens his mouth to retort until he suddenly feels his spider-sense go off. He stiffens immediately and spins around, preparing himself for an unknown danger.

That's when he rams straight into another man, and both wine and apple juice spill all over Peter. He feels himself blush as he looks down and examines the new mess on his shirt, and he feels absolutely mortified.

He tilts his head up and notices the tall man giving him a once over, and he tries to cover himself by crossing his arms together.

"Sorry about that sir."

Surprisingly, the man smiles. "Nonsense, it was me who ran into you. That was rather graceless on my part, my apologies Mister..."

He raises his eyebrows expectantly, and it takes Peter a beat too long to realize that he was asking for his name.

He awkwardly pushes his hand out, mimicking the way he had seen Tony do it all night. He tries to copy the man's actions by standing tall and confident, though he doesn't think he gives the same aura.

"Parker, Peter Parker."

The man's grins once more and Peter feels a chill creep down his neck. Something about him wasn't right, and his hand lingers for too long as it shakes Peter's.

Tony must notice this as well, because he abruptly enters into the conversation, lacking any warmth or hospitality.

"Watch where you're going, Winston." The man only then finally breaks eye contact and acknowledges Tony.

"Mister Stark, always a pleasure to see you, may I ask who the young one is?"

Tony takes a step forward, blocking Peter away from the man peering down at them.

"My intern, the best one I could find. He's gonna do great things one day." His words are light and complimentary but his tone his sharp and threatening at the same time.

Winston looks at Peter again, and there was a weird glint in his eyes. "I don't doubt that for a second."

Then, he pulls out a handkerchief and hands it to Peter. "How about you go clean yourself up and I'll talk to your boss here for a second."

The words are spoken kindly, but Peter got the feeling that it was more of a demand than a request.

Peter blinks back and turns to Tony, searching for guidance on what to do. He sees that Tony looks furious at the man, though he wasn't exactly sure why.

"You can go Pete, and then we can head out in a few minutes."

Peter takes the permission to leave and practically runs to the bathroom. Once he's there, he begins to scrub at the red stain covering his white button-up, though he feel like he's somehow making it worse.

He had just turned off the sink water when the door creaks open. Peter had been expecting to see Tony, and he turns to the entrance ready to spew out an apology.

"I'm so sorry about your suit Mister..."

His words falter when he sees the man from before, smirking in his direction.

"I came for my handkerchief."

The man seemed innocent enough, but Peter's sixth sense had been claiming otherwise all night. His hairs stood straight up and his ears rang with warning to leave. Despite this, Peter stiffly extends his arm, offering back the cloth.

"Here you go."

The man grabs it and takes a step forward, Peter takes a step back.

"You know, Tony Stark isn't known to have many interns, especially ones as handsome as you."

Peter doesn't know how to respond to that. He wasn't able to find his voice as the man continued to prance forward, not stopping until his back was taut against the wall.

He pressed his body to Peter's so the two were flush against each other, and panic ceases his thought as he feels an erection tugging at his stomach.

"Stop," he tries, though his pleas are ignored.

"Tell me- how did Tony Stark find you anyway? What did you have to do to get the internship?"

Peter shakes his head, planted on his feet and at a genuine loss on what to do. The man leans forward and whispers in his ear.

"Do you call him daddy in bed?"

Even when he begins to leave a hickey on his neck, Peter _still doesn't move._

It's not until he feels a hand groping his lower half when he properly reacts, forgetting that he has an identity to keep as he pushes the man off of him. Fight or flight instincts finally kick in, and he punches the man square in the face, knocking him out with one swing.

The man was twice his size, and if anyone witnessed what Peter had done they definitely would have found it suspicious, but nothing else mattered at the moment except leaving. He exits the bathroom and finds Tony automatically, stuck in a conversation with two new businessmen and glaring at them impatiently.

Peter rushes forward and tugs on his suit jacket, "I don't feel very good, is it okay if we leave early?"

His words are rushed out and barely coherent, but Tony somehow understands them.

He wraps an arm around Peter and leaves with no further hesitation, not even acknowledging the people he was speaking too.

Once they were away from the crowd, Tony asks in a low voice, "What happened kiddo?"

Peter shakes his head, not wanting to talk about it while they were still in the room.

Later, he spills everything, apologizing for using his powers in public and working himself up to hysterics when rehashing the details. Tony assures him that he did the right thing, and that he was proud of him.

Josiah Winston is put into prison not even a day later.


	11. Stabbed

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Peter is stabbed and tries to fix the wound himself after he learns Tony is busy for the night.

Swinging to the Tower with a stab wound was probably not the best idea in hindsight.

The thought occurs to Peter as he stumbles through the window, attempting and failing not to get blood on the floor. The wound seems to be growing progressively worse as time passes by, and the more blood he looses the more light-headed and disoriented he begins to feel.

For a brief moment, he decides to take a break, laying on the ground and working to clear the black spots that take over his vision. The tiled floor feels cool against his skin and he lets out a content sigh of relief, savoring the sensation of it.

He thinks about asking May if they can replace the carpet in their apartment, though he quickly scraps the idea moments later. They weren't allowed to make renovations like that, but maybe he could convince the landlord. He remembers MJ telling him about carpet beetle infestations, and surely that could be a motivator.

But he also liked having the carpet in his bedroom; the familiarity of fabric brushing against your feet, giving any home a warm and cozy atmosphere that tiles would simply never accomplish even if you throw a rug on top of it.

He tries to recall if any rooms in the Tower have carpet in them, but he assumes not. Tony Stark doesn't seem like a carpet guy after all.

At the thought of Tony, Peter is suddenly reminded why he came here to begin with. He sits up and hisses out in pain when he feels a stinging throb in his abdomen.

"Hey FRIDAY, have you seen Mister Stark anywhere?" Peter's words are slurred together, but he thinks that the AI will understand him nevertheless.

Sure enough, he gets a response seconds later, "Boss is currently on a date with Ms. Potts, would you like me to inform him of your arrival?"

Peter opens his mouth to say yes, but he stops himself from giving the confirmation. He would feel guilty if he were to interrupt their night out, and it's not like he hasn't dealt with a stab wound before.

"No, it's okay- I'll be in and out."

A combination of determination and resolve fill Peter's thoughts as he begins to stand up, a task much more challenging than it should be. His body tilts to the side but he is able to catch himself by holding onto the window sill, and he notices a bloody hand-print when he retracts it.

FRIDAY somehow notices the blood too.

"A protocol has been installed to inform Boss whenever you have injured yourself, are you sure you would not like me to contact him now?"

Peter pauses in his steps, pressing down on his wound and letting out another hiss of pain. "I thought Ned and I got rid of that?"

"You have for Karen."

Despite the pain, or maybe _because_ of the pain, Peter begins to laugh, amused with the idea that FRIDAY was familiar with the name Peter had given to his own AI. Then, a thought occurs.

"Hey FRI, are you and Karen friends?"

"Karen and I will sometimes intercept in coding if that is what you mean?"

Peter laughs even more, but quickly stops himself when he feels his stab wound flair up with it. He looks down to examine the damage only to find crimson red completely staining his abdomen, and he's suddenly thankful that his suit is the same color.

Eventually Peter actually makes it to the elevator after what felt like hours but had to have been minutes if he were still conscious. He sits back down, pleased with his travels thus far.

"Hey Fri, will you take me to the med bay?"

While the AI doesn't respond the elevator moves up on its own accord, so Peter guesses that she had listened to him after all. Unless there was a ghost in the building.

When Peter was younger he never believed in ghosts and anything else supernatural, but ever since he has gained his own powers he thinks that the plausibility of being haunted wasn't too far fetched anymore.

Sometimes in the middle of the night when Peter is alone with his thoughts, he actually _hopes_ that ghosts are real. Maybe Ben was still watching over him and he didn't even know it, witnessing him recklessly jump off of buildings and get stabbed by drug dealers on a Wednesday evenings.

The idea brings Peter comfort, and it somehow lessens the pain as well.

Then, the elevator door slides open and he mummers his gratitude to FRIDAY. He had officially lost all of his energy as he drags himself out of the confided space.

For some reason the wound was no longer hurting, but he supposed that was a good sign. Fatigue causes his vision to tunnel yet he moves forward anyway, at least wanting to make it to the med bay so he can take a nap on the bed. His legs are no longer functioning properly, so he has to crawl there instead.

He falls face-first onto the mattress when he finds it, and the pillow is fluffy and comfortable against his cheek. He thinks how he could spend the rest of his life laying there when FRIDAY interrupts his moment of bliss.

"I would suggest covering up the wound before Boss gets here, you have lost a significant amount of blood and your vitals are reading critical condition."

Peter opens his eyes and groans out, "you're a snitch."

Despite his aggravation with FRIDAY, he still sits up and makes his way to the nearest table. He grabs onto the bed railing and completely dents it with the force of his grip. Another thing he can worry about later.

He picks up something that vaguely resembles the knife he was stabbed with earlier, but it was much too small to be the actual culprit. Still, he examines it with careful fingers, unknowingly swaying on his feet.

While Peter no longer felt pain, he didn't necessarily feel _good_ either. His skin was clammy and his brain felt like it was filled with cotton balls.

He picks up the jar of actual cotton balls at the side and accidentally breaks the lid as he attempts to twist it open. He pays no mind to the broken glass as he grabs a piece and dabs it against his wound, and the white material is immediately soaked red.

He picks up another cotton ball, ready to apply more pressure when he hears a voice that sounds identical to Tony's.

" _Peter, what the hell._ "

Peter turns and sees the man in question, and his face was pale and his eyes were wide with fear.

He offers a one-handed wave before passing out.


	12. Waiting Room

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Continuation of Stabbed, though can be read together or alone.

Pepper was disappointed to say the least.

She and Tony no longer have many opportunities to go on dates these days, and of course the one time she's able to drag him out of the Tower is when Peter Parker manages to almost kill himself while fighting some low grade criminal of the week.

She knows something is wrong the moment Tony checks his phone, and the way his eyes grow comically wide indicates that it has something to do with the kid he has grown so fond of over the past couple months.

Pepper didn't know Peter all too well, and the two have only had short conversations in passing. Still, she remembers her shock when learning that the sixteen year old intern in front of her was none other than Spiderman himself, and to this day she's unable to wrap her head around it.

Peter Parker didn't seem like the type of kid who would join the superhero business. As much as she hated to admit it, he was simply too good of a person to fit the title.

While all heroes feel the same obligation to save the world, they also have knowledge of how the universe functions. No one is inherently good, and there's always darkness in each nook and corner.

It's a fact that all Avengers have come to realize at one point or another, and the life lesson that the good guys don't always win was practically ingrained in their heads after all these years.

It's something that Peter Parker has yet to learn, and Pepper fears the day when the lesson comes back to haunt him.

But she supposes it doesn't matter, because at the end of the day Iron Man was always going to ensure that Spiderman was okay, so long as he is still alive and standing.

She thinks this now while Tony throws a stack of hundred dollar bills on the restaurant table before leaving with no further explanation. The waiter taking their order seems taken aback, and Pepper offers a quick apology before following close behind.

While she was worried for Peter's well-being, the selfish part of herself couldn't help but feel annoyed with the situation. She had been looking forward to spending the evening with Tony, and if he played his cards right they could have ended the night on quite the high note.

She knew that it wasn't a possibility now as they finally make it back to the Tower, and she can feel the anxiety radiating off of the man as he practically sprints to the medbay.

_"Peter, what the hell?"_

It's only then when they find the boy, looking as if he walked straight out of a horror film with all of the blood that stained his skin red. He had even managed to get blood in his hair, and Pepper tries not to let the disappointment show on her face at that.

Tony on the other hand looks absolutely terrified, and Pepper can understand why. If this wasn't Peter Parker he would have been dead a long time ago with a wound like that, and she couldn't help but feel the slightest bit impressed that he had even managed to stand upright for this long. 

Pepper and Tony move into action, and they don't even need Cho's help when they begin to fix up his wounds. She has plenty of experience with playing nurse after the many injuries Tony has given himself throughout the years, and she can't even pretend to be fazed at this point.

The same can't be said for Tony, "why the fuck is there so much blood?"

Pepper doesn't respond, instead she finishes up the last of the stitches before checking the heart monitor one more time. It shows that Peter's vitals are as well as they can be, and the machine continues to beep at a healthy pace.

She leans back then, pleased with their handiwork. Tony leans forward, looking seconds away from a panic attack.

It's only then when Pepper intervenes, moving so her hand rests on top of Tony's as she gives his finger a squeeze, "Give him a day and he'll be just fine. Look, his wounds are already healing themselves up."

Tony glances at his torso with a desperate glint in his eye, and Pepper feels where he's coming from. She knew that the kid meant a lot more to Tony than he would ever admit, and seeing someone as young as Peter covered in blood was admittedly difficult to process.

Pepper only holds onto his hand a little bit tighter, and she waits until Tony squeezes back.

"Now you know how I feel when you go on your suicide missions as Iron Man."

Tony finally looks at her then and while there was still the underlying fear in his eyes, there was also a hint of amusement.

"First off, they're not _suicide missions-_ "

"Could have fooled me."

Tony laughs then, yet the smile on his face doesn't reach his eyes. Pepper relates to the sentiment more than she ever thought was possible, and she tries to comfort him knowing fully well that there was nothing she could say that would hold any value.

"Peter's going to be okay- this has happened countless of times in the past and it'll happen countless more, it's something you'll just have to get used too."

Tony sighs at that, but he doesn't argue with the logic. It's silent for a minute or two and Pepper watches the heart monitor in front of her.

She only then wonders how she always ends up sitting in the waiting chair.

She's about to comment on it, though before she can Tony interrupts her train of thought, "I just wish he wasn't Spiderman."

Pepper laughs, though it holds no humor to it as they both stare at the broken boy in front of them.

"He's not going to quit, just like you won't quit being Iron Man any time soon."

Tony opens his mouth only to close it seconds later. He seems distraught as he glares at the stitches laying before his eyes, and Pepper can only imagine how much he's blaming himself at the moment.

She leans over and kisses his cheek, hoping to distract Tony for just a second.

"You're doing everything you can, and I'm sure Peter is grateful for it."

"I just feel like it's not enough."

Pepper kisses him again, this time on the lips.

"It never does," and she wants to offer more sympathy, but she knows the feeling all too well. The knowledge that a loved one is hurting and all you can do is wait until their eyes open again.

That is if they open at all, but Pepper doesn't even dare plant that seed in his head. Instead she tries to think of something appropriate to say, but it turns out that she doesn't have too.

"Sorry that our date was ruined Pep, I'll make it up to you soon."

Pepper looks back at Tony and she can hear the promise in his words. She smiles then, hoping that it conveys all the love she holds for him.

"It's okay, the kid's growing on me anyhow."

Tony smiles back, looking at Peter and so clearly appreciating the rise and fall of his chest.

"Yeah, he has a way of doing that."

They both sit at the medbay for the rest of the night, and while it's not the date that Pepper had imagined she supposes it wasn't so bad after all, even when May Parker eventually joins them.

Peter wakes up the very next day, and Pepper only feels relief while he and Tony once again begin to bicker with one another. She was certain that there would be more interrupted dates in the future, though she supposes it doesn't matter as long as the day after looks exactly like this.


	13. Collapse

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Peter is sick of buildings crashing on top of him.

The first time a building falls on top of Peter, he freaks out.

He had never felt dread and hopelessness the way he had that day, and the nightmares that followed were all-consuming. Even years later he has night terrors from the warehouse crumbling before his eyes: the weight and pressure of it threatening to swallow him whole, the realization that he was going to die alone.

He had never felt more terrified in his life.

The second time a building falls on top of Peter however, he's _furious_.

It should be impossible for this to happen twice. The probability of having an entire building collapse on a person is close to nothing, yet here he was.

He focuses on his anger as he brushes off the debris, already searching for the most plausible escape route.

Peter is almost positive that he's in a state of shock because he doesn't even feel the large piece of rubble that's pinning down on his right leg. He takes a closer look and sees that his leg is also bent in an odd angle, one that was definitely not normal. 

Some people would call it unfortunate, Peter would call it Parker Luck.

He's about to start moving again when he hears someone desperately calling his name.

 _"Peter?_ Come on kid, talk to me."

He wonders where the voice is coming from until he remembers he still has his mask on, and it's only then when he focuses on the comms and wills his voice not to shake as he speaks out.

_"Mister Stark?"_

His voice wavers uncontrollably anyway.

Tony actually cries in relief, and Peter can't help but feel shocked at the reaction. He doesn't cry himself, refusing to let his PTSD take control of him.

"Peter? Tell me what's happening down there, are you okay?"

Peter examines his surroundings again, trying and failing to see three feet past him, "um, it's kind of dark down here..."

"Help is on its way, they should be here in twenty minutes or so- do you think you can wait for that long?" 

Tony is clearly trying to stay calm for Peter's sake, but it's impossible not to notice the tenseness in his voice. Peter nods anyway, not realizing that Tony couldn't see him. 

"Yeah, yeah, yeah- I can wait," he tries to convince himself.

"I'll be here the whole time, okay? I'm not leaving you alone."

Peter nods again and tries to regulate his breathing while he waits, it doesn't work.

"Is the girl still with you?"

It's only then when Peter's thoughts blank for a second, and then he suddenly remembers what had happened. They had been in the middle of a mission and Peter was in charge of evacuation. He had almost gotten everyone out of the building except one. 

He had been too late.

The realization pushes him to action, and he moves with the one goal to save the girl trapped under the rubble. He feels like he's punched in the gut as he looks around the chaos, not knowing what to do next.

In all honesty, the second time around should have been much easier to handle than the first. The building that had crashed on top of him was lighter than the warehouse, and he still had his suit with him. More importantly, however, he had a connection to the outside world. He could talk to Tony.

Still, panic begins to blur his vision without his permission, and he feels his own unadulterated terror begin to build inside of him. He had been holding himself together for much longer than he had anticipated, but both his bravery and patience were quickly draining along with his shocked state. 

Peter ignores the tremble in his fingers and tries to pick at the piece holding down his leg. He focuses on channeling his strength as he attempts to lift the building, yet nothing budges.

He is unable to think straight and he feels claustrophobic despite Tony telling him he wasn't alone. This was too much like the first time, and it hurt to breathe all of the sudden.

"Peter? Quit moving, you're going to make it worse."

He can't breathe down here- he chokes on the little air he is supplied and finally lets out the sob he had been desperately holding back since he gained consciousness.

"I have to- need to get her out of here."

"Help is coming but you have to calm down- just listen to me, focus on my voice."

Peter doesn't listen. He pushes harder on the rubble, using so much force that it somehow breaks in half. He does the same process until he can squeeze his leg out from the mess, and blinding pain dances along his vision as he does so. 

He tries not to look at the clearly broken leg, so dismantled that Peter doesn't know if his healing factor will help it this time around. He begins to work on the rubble above him, though it's difficult to move without the strength of his lower half. Nevertheless, he manages to push some of granite out of the way without anything crashing into his small safe space.

Tony is still speaking to him, but Peter doesn't hear it. He needs to get the girl out of here.

He continues with this process, but even when half-delirious he can tell that it's slow and rigorous. He still doesn't realize that he's crying and he doesn't notice the sickly crack that comes from his leg when he applies too much pressure on it. All he is focused on is reaching safety, hysterically moving pieces and parts out of the way.

Later, Peter would thank it on his adrenaline rush, and if he wasn't so in his head he would have realized that what he was doing was way too much for his body to handle. Every fiber in his bones ached with the need to let go, and he thinks he broke his hand in the process of throwing a particularly large pile of rubble out of the way. 

Clinical shock helps his mind go blank, and he barely registers the pain.

He eventually finds the girl, but her eyes are closed. He listens closely and doesn't detect a heartbeat, though he refuses to believe that she's dead yet. Instead, he grabs onto her and throws the limp body across his shoulder, dragging them both out while supporting the ceiling threatening to crush them whole. 

He ignores the ache in his chest and trudges along even while the girl is lifeless in his arms.

Finally, what feels like days but had to have been mere minutes, Peter reaches the top of the crash. Sunlight pokes through the dismantled ceiling and Peter sobs even louder at the sight. He then lifts his hand, but the last piece of the rubble is thrown out of the way before he can even reach it.

He finally cries for help.

Tony jumps out of his suit and gathers Peter into his arms, and it's impossible to tell who was sobbing more. The man had been talking the whole time, but it wasn't until then that Peter actually started to listen to what he was saying. 

He was whispering his name repeatedly as if it were a prayer, and Peter thinks Tony might be in shock as well.

Peter cries before his body can't take the emotional or physical stress any longer, and he passes out in Tony's arms as he allows the other to catch him.

A day later, Peter learns that the girl had not survived the building collapse, and the impact of the crash had caused immediate death from a head wound.

Peter had failed.


	14. Broken Heart

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Michelle helps Peter when he gets injured as Spiderman, she doesn't initially realize that there were also emotional wounds to treat.

It's almost midnight when Michelle gets a call from Peter.

Initially, she debates letting it ring to voicemail. It's surely what she would have done if it were anyone else calling, but there was no way to ignore the excitement and anticipation that grows in her chest whenever Peter's name pops up on her screen.

In an attempt to play it cool, she waits until it reaches the fourth ring to answer the phone.

"You should be asleep, we have school tomorrow."

"The same could be said for you."

Peter's voice sounds grainy, as if he were talking to a speaker. She listens closely to the phone and hears the sound of wind rustling and she can't help but sigh.

"Peter, are you patrolling?"

There's a beat of silence on the phone, most likely Peter stewing in his own guilt, as he should be.

It had been only a week since Peter had fought Mysterio in London, and everyone who knew about his secret identity had practically begged him to take a break from patrolling.

Unfortunately however, Peter is persistent when he wants to be.

This is a quality that Michelle would usually find admirable about Peter, yet at the moment it made her want to knock some sense into him instead, quite literally.

When the silence drags out, Michelle knows that she's not going to get a proper answer, though she supposes she doesn't need one.

"Does your aunt know you're out right now?"

"That's actually what I'm calling you about..."

Michelle fights back a groan, "what did you do?"

"So I may or may not have cut myself while patrolling- but it's not that deep I swear! I just need to clean it a little and it'll be good as new in a couple of hours... I just don't really want May to see me like this."

At least Peter had the audacity to sound bashful.

Michelle sighs and moves to unlock her window, "alright, you can come in."

She then opens the curtains and isn't surprised when she sees Spiderman perched against her window sill, because where else would he be. She wordlessly steps out of the way and allows Peter to stumble into her bedroom.

"Thanks for letting me come over," Peter says with his mask still on, and that he was here in person Michelle could hear the slightest of wavers in his voice.

She raises an eyebrow, "everything okay?"

The mechanical eyes of the Spiderman mask widen significantly, and it takes a moment for Peter to find his bearings.

"Yeah, yeah- I'm good."

Michelle doesn't believe him, but she decides not to push on it for now. She leads him to the bathroom and offers some of her own clothes for him to change into afterward.

Peter wobbles across the hall before turning to close the door, and it takes all of Michelle's willpower not to follow short behind. When the door clicks shut, it sounds a lot louder than it actually is.

She couldn't help but feel like something was wrong, more so than usual.

It was obvious that he has been pushing himself to the limits, and Michelle hated that the only thing she could truly do was sit there and watch as he threw himself into danger every night.

Peter was always reckless when he's out as Spiderman, that much isn't a surprise in the slightest, yet she was certain that he would soon reach his breaking point if this continues the way it has been.

Perhaps he reaches it sooner than she expects.

For the first fifteen minutes she tries to give him privacy as he tends to his wounds, but once she hears a muffled sob from the other side of the door, she doesn't hesitate to reach for the knob.

Peter was standing in the middle of the bathroom, hands covering his mouth in a useless attempt to hide his mourning. His suit was spilled around his feet, and Michelle tries to not let her eyes linger when she sees him standing only in his boxers.

She scolds her teenage hormones as she knew that there were much more important things to focus on, like the way Peter's shoulders shake as he chokes back another sob.

Michelle finally snaps out of her trance and takes a step forward, and she grabs the first aid kit away from his trembling hands.

"Peter?" she tries.

And for once, that's all the prompting he needs to start sharing.

"There were these news reporters and- and they kept asking about London but I didn't want to talk about it, and then they started talking about Tony, and- I don't know."

The explanation was barely coherent through his gasps and wails, but Michelle had been able to understand it nevertheless. The aftermath of London had been difficult for Peter to manage, and she knew it was only a matter of time until he'd reach his breaking point. In all honesty, she's surprised he had lasted as long as he did.

Instead of offering meaningless condolences, Michelle steps forward and wraps him into her arms, paying mind to the nasty cut on his left shoulder.

Despite the situation, her stomach does a somersault when Peter willingly leans into her touch, greedily holding on as if she were a lifeline. Still, Michelle has to remind herself to calm herself when she feels abs pressed against her body.

She had never been the best at handling physical contact, for it was a concept that her family had avoided at all costs. Despite this, she tries to be as comforting as possible as she brushes her fingers against his hair and holds on tighter.

It takes a while, but Peter's cries eventually turn into soft sniffles, and Michelle can't help but feel relieved.

"I just miss him," Peter whispers into her shoulder.

She kisses the top of his forehead, wishing she could do more to heal the heartbreak of a boy who has seen too much.

Michelle finally pulls away then, examining his bloodshot eyes and tear tracks covering his face. Even when distraught and disheveled, he looked stunning.

But Michelle doesn't tell him this, she instead moves him so he's sitting on the closed toilet seat before grabbing the first aid kit herself.

"Let's fix that cut of yours."

She can't do much about the emotional wounds, but at least she could help the physical.

Peter offers her a timid smile, and though it was wet and wavering it manages the light up the whole room.


	15. Sensory Overload

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Peter has a sensory overload, and for once in his life Tony doesn't know how to fix it.

Tony was in the middle of reading Morgan a bed time story when Pepper barges in the room with panic on her face. It's not often that the women is seen in a frenzy, and Tony automatically knows that something bad has happened.

"Morgan, I need to see Daddy for a moment- is it okay if we end story time early tonight."

Tears begins to form in Morgan's eyes but Pepper shuts it down before it could manifest into a full blown temper tantrum. She sees something dark in her mother's eyes, and goes to bed with no further fight.

The moment the two are out of the room, Pepper grabs a key and locks Morgan's bedroom door shut. Then, she grabs Tony's hand and drags him to the living room.

"Pep, slow down- tell me what we're up against here."

Pepper shakes her head and continues to pull him down the stairs.

"It's Peter." Tony's heart drops at the two words, yet somehow he had been expecting them.

"He keeps begging for you, and I tried to ask him what was wrong but he won't tell me."

Pepper's rushed explanation is put to an abrupt halt once they reach the living room, and Tony suddenly understands why Pepper looks so frazzled.

Peter was sitting at the edge of the couch, knees tucked into his chest and rocking back and forth as if trying to comfort himself. His hair was disheveled and his eyes scanned the room as if he didn't trust it. Tony listens closer and notices Peter whispering to himself, but he is unable to understand what he was saying.

Tony is shell shocked, never having seen Peter in this state of mind. Yet he watches in amazement as Pepper swallows her trepidation by approaching Peter with light steps.

"Hi sweetheart, I brought Tony here just like you asked."

Peter continues to rock back and forth, not acknowledging that he was being spoken too.

Pepper glares at Tony from across the room, and he can tell that she is silently berating him for not doing anything.

He moves into action at that, getting as close to Peter as he could without physically touching one another.

"Hey buddy, what's happening?"

He wishes he could put on a mask like Pepper had, but he's unable to camouflage the tremble in his voice when he speaks.

He supposes it doesn't matter anyhow, because Peter completely ignores him. He takes the palm of his hands and smashes them against his ears.

"No, no, no, no, no-"

Peter begins to pull at his hair, and that's finally when Tony finally intervenes, grasping onto his wrists and pulling them away from his head. When Peter looks up, Tony's heart skips a beat as they make eye contact.

His pupils are completely dilated and his eyes are blood shot, as if he had been crying for hours upon end. There's something fierce and desperate written on his face, and Tony has to force himself not to look away.

"Mister Stark?"

Tony doesn't hesitate to hold onto Peter when he extends his arms out, grasping for contact. He places both of Peter hands on top of his chest where his heart lays.

"Take a deep breath with me, in and out, follow my heartbeat-"

Tony coaches him out of a panic attack, and after what feels like years Peter can breath in his own. Still, the hysteria doesn't fade, and Tony worries.

"What's got you so worked up buddy?" He tries to speak in a soft tone, but Peter's eyes snap open as if he had just yelled in his face.

"I- I don't know, I was fighting that guy and he had this- thing and then I took him down and now my senses are all works up and I don't know what to do anymore."

Peter was now talking a mile a minute, and not even Pepper seemed able to keep up.

"Slow down, tell me what specially is wrong, yeah?" Peter simply shakes his head.

" _I don't know-_ I can't think straight."

Peter began to rock back and forth again, drowning himself in his own sorrows. Tony takes each of his palms and holds them to Peter's face, forcing him to look back at him.

"Breathe."

Peter listens and takes a long, exaggerated breath, though it doesn't do much.

"I don't want you to be mad at me. I swear I didn't mean to invite myself-"

"Pete, you know you're always invited."

Peter was now sobbing, his words barely distinguishable.

"It _hurts_."

Next it's Pepper who speaks, and while her voice shakes she still keeps a steady grip on Peter and Tony, grounding them both.

"Peter can you look at me?"

Instead, he looks at Tony. "Please don't be mad at me."

Tony still isn't able to talk, and he hates himself for offering little comfort as Peter lets out another gut wrenching sob. He's far too out of it to stifle them back like he usually would, and Tony knows the sound will haunt him for the rest of his life.

Unsurprisingly, Pepper takes control of the situation. She moves forward so she was the one in Peter's line of vision, and Peter holds onto her greedily.

"We're really proud of you for coming here after realizing something was wrong. That was good." 

Peter simply shakes his head as if she had been talking too loud, and then his own voice is barely above a whisper.

"I should go, I don't want to wake up Morgan or anything."

The statement pushes Tony out of his shock, and he finally joins back in the conversation. He hears Pepper breathe a sigh in relief when he speaks himself.

"Of course not, you're staying whether you want to or not. We're going to figure this out together."

Peter gives the slightest of nods in confirmation, and that's all Tony needs to get to work.

"Can you tell me about the villain you were fighting, how did he make this sensory overload so strong?"

"I can't- I don't remember... I think there were lights? I don't know."

Tony fights the urge to groan only because he doesn't want Peter to think that he was mad at him. The rage must be clearly written on his face however, because moments later Pepper is nudging him, giving in a disapproving glance.

He pushes his revenge aside and focuses on Peter for now.

"That's okay. How about we go find you something that'll knock you out, maybe calm your thoughts for a little bit."

Peter nods desperately, resembling a kicked puppy. "Please."

It takes longer than anticipated to get Peter to sleep. They first try NyQuil though it does nothing due to his quick metabolism. After trial and error of different medicines, they resort to using an inhumane amount of drugs, and Peter is out like a light in ten minutes. While it wasn't the most responsible decision on their part, Tony supposes it was the lesser to two evils.

When Peter is finally asleep, he gets to work on figuring out the details of what happened that evening and finds the Baby Monitor footage in five minutes flat. The man Peter had been fighting was definitely supernatural judging from the way his skin glowed neon purple even through the grainy camera.

This sensory overload had been worst than most, and he can't help but think that the stranger had something to do with it.

He supposes it didn't technically matter in the end, because the next day Peter simply wakes up with a killer headache, but other than that he was completely fine.

Supposedly, he doesn't remember fighting as Spiderman or any of the events leading up to him sleeping at the lakehouse. Tony can't help but feel jealous, and he didn't think he would ever be able to forget tonight.

He hugs Peter before he heads back to Queens, kissing the top of his forehead and telling him that he loves him.

Tony works on finding the villain, stopping at nothing to seek his vengeance. He doesn't dare tell Peter however, knowing that he would want to join in the search.

He never wants to see Peter like that again.


	16. Hearing Loss

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Peter was a little too used to his senses...

Usually when Peter wakes up from the med bay he is aroused by the mechanical hum of equipment, the steady beep of the heart monitor, the consistent and comforting sound of two separate heartbeats, always by his side until he has reached full recovery.

This time however it's complete silence, and that is what causes Peter to open his eyes despite his pounding headache telling him to do otherwise.

Bright lights hit his eyes, and his suspicions of laying in the med bay are confirmed. He allows his eyes to adjust to the artificial lights before looking around, and he is met with the sight of May staring down at him with concern in her eyes. Her mouth is moving but he can't hear a single word she's saying.

Panic stirs in his gut and he tries to remember what had happened. It only takes a few moments to come to the verdict of his apparent hearing loss.

There had been a bomb planted on the streets of the Bronx that morning. With the lack of time Peter was forced to grab the bomb himself, rushing to create as much distance as possible before the explosion went off.

He turns back to May, this time with more trepidation.

"Is everyone okay?" he asks, and judging from the way May flinches back he must have screamed in her face.

May nods and opens her mouth, but she's talking too fast for Peter to be able to read her lips.

It's not until then that he processes how dire the situation truly was. Peter couldn't be Spiderman if he didn't have his hearing. Ever since he had gained his abilities he has become used to constant noise, whether it be the cars from across the street or the baby crying three floors down.

While it had been the cause of countless sensory overloads throughout the years, it has also been beneficial, especially when it came to patrolling.

There had been countless of times where he was able to depict several abuse cases simply from walking past a house. He always made sure to call the cops and give the location, allowing the police to investigate and help whoever was in need of it. To think that he would be unable to help those cases caused his heart to sink.

But there were things he would miss just as Peter as well, and that thought might have been even more frightening.

He wouldn't get to listen to May hum to the Top Forty hits as she makes dinner. He wouldn't get to hear Ned's laugh, full of giddiness and excitement that only he could possess. He wouldn't be able to seek comfort in the sound of Tony's voice, mostly stern and unbothered but every once in awhile full of love and endearment, in a way that makes Peter feel warm all over if not just for a moment.

He feels a hand on his shoulder and he looks up to see May standing close. He allows her presence to ground him once more, but he can't stop the panic attack from seizing.

Usually when he was panicked like this, he would pay closer attention to May's heartbeat, following the rhythm of where it fell. Now he can't do that, and May must realize this as well because she moves his shaky palm and presses it against her chest, right where her heart lays. She then takes slow, exaggerated breaths and waits for Peter to follow.

While he does so, May shoves his phone into his hand, and she is quick to pull out her own as she sends a text.

_'hey baby, can you not hear anything?"_

Peter shakes his head and tries to calm his racing heart. May stops to consider this before putting down the phone and planting a kiss on his forehead. She moves closer so she is directly in his field of vision, and he reads her lips.

'You're okay.'

Peter tries to believe her.

~

Tony has Helen Cho conduct multiple testings and scans, and she claims that his hearing should come back in the next week or so.

Peter couldn't hear May's sobs of relief, but he could definitely see them as tears run down her face and she covers her mouth. Tony looks relieved as well, but he does a much better job of hiding it.

Now, Peter simply had to wait until his hearing fully came back. However, much to his complete and utter shock, Tony had suggested that Peter stay at the Tower while he still couldn't hear anything.

The idea of crashing at Tony's place for that long seemed to be crossing a barrier, but Peter didn't exactly have a choice as Tony and May exchanged the plans without him.

FRIDAY was going to do hourly scans to make sure nothing went wrong with the healing process, and they planned to rely heavily on his healing factor for most of the recovery.

Maybe not the best game plan, but there was nothing else the doctors could do.

For the first day, Peter sleeps. He was still sore from the impact of the explosion, and the eery silence was beginning to become overwhelming as time passed by. He sleeps for seventeen hours and wakes up at noon, and he probably would have stayed in bed for longer if he wasn't so hungry at that point.

Other than his ruptured eardrums, the rest of his body had pretty much healed on its own. He tries to focus on that as he heads down to the kitchen, though he stops in his tracks when he sees Tony close by.

He's about to turn around when the man spots and waves him over. Peter debates lying and saying he has to use the restroom, but he chooses to man up instead.

A couple of months ago he would have felt ecstatic to sit with Tony Stark, but now all he feels is guilt. Tony shouldn't feel responsible to take care of him, and it was unfair for him to presume that fatherly role when he didn't want to.

Tony must notice his hesitation because he waves him over once again, this time more persistently.

Peter sighs and slowly makes his way toward the kitchen. When he finally sits down Tony pulls out pen and paper that seemed to purposefully be there, and begins scribbling down words.

_'How are you feeling kiddo?'_

Peter looks up and shrugs.

Tony stares him down, examining the tenseness in his shoulders and the lack of eye contact. Peter had been acting strange the past few weeks, and in the beginning Tony assumed that he was imagining it.

Now, it was undeniable that the kid was uncomfortable around him, though he wasn't exactly certain why.

He pulls back at the paper and tries again, _'did I do something wrong?'_

Peter reads the sheet and snaps his head up, adamantly shaking his head. Finally, he picks up the pen and writes something down himself.

_'Of course not, why would you think that?'_

_'You've been awfully distant lately'_

Peter grabs at the sheet ready to refute the claim, but he pauses before the pen can hit the paper. He supposed he had been avoiding Tony, but it was for good reason.

Peter knew that he could be a hassle, especially with his Spiderman activities. He didn't want to annoy the man more than he already has.

He doesn't think Tony would appreciate the answer however, so he simply shrugs again as Tony raises an eyebrow.

Despite not having written anything down, Tony seems to somehow understand what was going on in Peter's head. He writes something down for a minute or so, and Peter tries not to peer over his shoulder as he waits.

After anticipation builds in Peter's gut, Tony hands the paper back.

' _Peter, if I didn't want you here I wouldn't have suggested you staying for the week. I know I may not be the most welcoming but you're killing me here. Please me take care of you, I want to.'_

Peter reads the note three times before looking back at Tony, shocked that he had come to that conclusion in the span of a few minutes. Maybe Tony paid more attention to Peter than he realized.

"Are you sure?" he asks out loud, still not certain how much space he was allowed to take up. Tony rolls his eyes when he says this, patting his hand on his shoulder and giving it a squeeze.

"I want to." Tony repeats, or at least that's what Peter assumes as he reads his lips.

Peter lets out a small smile and nods his head, trying to convince himself that this wasn't a big deal. Like this wasn't what he had been selfishly wishing for ever since Ben had died.

The thought of Ben causes his throat to tighten, but he ignores the pain for now.

It was fine.

Tony moves to make him lunch, and it's a gesture that Peter is beyond appreciative for.

Living in the silence was difficult, and his self-consciousness of being around the billionaire never fully goes away that week.

By the end of the stay however, he was much more comfortable, and he thinks this might have been a turning point for their relationship.

~

Years later, Peter reads the note of Tony's reassurances over and over again, trying and failing to hold back wrecked sobs in the process. He wishes Tony hadn't followed through with the snap, and he hated that the useless piece of paper was the only thing he had left of his mentor.


	17. Brain Damage

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Peter experiences supernatural brain damage, and Tony doesn't know how to fix it.

They're in the middle of a mission when it happens.

Tony knows something was wrong after ten minutes pass by, and not a single quip or remark from Spiderman is heard. He tries not to let his worry show as he speaks into the comms once more.

"Spiderman, I need a full report," a beat of silence, "come on kiddo, talk to me."

Instead of the kid, it's Clint who replies.

"Relax Stark, he's probably fine- I, for one, find the peace and quiet to be a nice change of pace, I can actually hear myself think."

Tony huffs out a sigh, and focuses once more on the surroundings of the abandoned lot, looking for the enemy.

He knew it was a bad idea to be split up from Peter, especially with the opponent they were facing. While the Avengers were not given many details prior to the mission, they knew they were fighting something supernatural. News and media had decided to call the magical creature the Soul Sucker, a name that Tony personally found ridiculous.

There had been five victims to the creature thus far, and while they were all still living and breathing, none of them conveyed any sign of life or emotion. They don't speak, eat, sleep, or do anything- instead they simply stare off into space, gaze unfocused and seemingly distracted.

What worries Tony most of all was the fact that all the victims were particularly young. Due to this reason alone, Tony had benched Peter from the mission as soon as the Avengers were given a clue on where the creature might be hiding.

He should have realized that Peter would ignore Tony's demands and protests. About five minutes before the mission was about to begin, Tony was met with the sight of a suited up Peter Parker, chatting with Captain America like the traitor he is.

Of course, there was no time to yell, and Steve had decided that each Avenger would split up to cover more ground. This was a decision that Tony was reluctant to follow, and he made sure to be rather vocal with his distaste in the idea.

Nevertheless, Steve had brushed off Tony's concerns, claiming that everyone could fight for themselves.

In other words, if something happened during the mission, he would know exactly who to blame.

Tony tries again, "Spiderman, full report."

Now Clint was laughing. "Yeesh, and I thought I was overprotective. You have to let the kid do his thing."

"Well, your kids don't run around in spandex-"

"I've got eyes on Spiderman."

Tony forgets to finish the sentence as Natasha speaks in the comms.

"Where's your location."

Natasha doesn't respond, and Tony's aggravation only grows.

"Location, now."

This time, it's Steve who answers.

"Tony, you can't leave your post now, the mission will go south if-"

 _"_ The mission has already gone south."

"You need to stay on post and _follow orders_ , we can't jeopardize the mission yet."

Pure rage turns Tony's vision red, and he's ready to curse back before Natasha finally speaks up.

"The creature is secured. We can head back to the jet."

Cheers are heard, but Tony didn't give a shit about the success.

"Where's the kid."

There is a moment of hesitation before Natasha talks over the comms, and despite not knowing any information Tony can feel that something is wrong.

"He's not looking too good Stark."

Fear immediately courses through his veins, yet he feels the urge to punch the wall. Peter can't stay out of danger for five goddamn seconds.

"Give me your location."

This time, Tony fails to hide the waver in his voice, and the rest of the Avengers fall silent at the sound of it.

Because they all know, even if they didn't know Peter's true identity. It was clear that he was significantly younger than the rest simply from the way he held himself. There was an energy about Peter that was endearing, full of faith and slight nativity that made it obvious that he did not have the advantage of age and experience on his side.

It's suddenly made sense how Natasha was able to capture the creature, yet Tony simply doesn't want to believe it.

"Tony, you're going to freak out- maybe you should let us handle it."

" _What's the location_." Tony interrupts, this time with more demand.

The desperation in his voice must have been blatantly heard because a location is finally given after a moment of silence. Tony moves into action then, and once his feet touch the ground the Iron Suit disassembles as he runs towards Peter and Natasha.

Automatically, he notices Peter's Spiderman mask is gripped in Natasha's hand, and Tony forces himself to take a deep breath.

There was no way of denying what happened now. Peter would never let someone take off his mask without a fight, especially the Avengers.

While they have all gotten closer as a team, Peter was extremely adamant about not revealing anything about his identity. While Tony wasn't exactly sure why, he couldn't help but feel special that he only seemed to trust Tony out of the group of superheroes.

He bends down so he's at eye level with Peter, but no sign of recognition dawns on him. He snaps his finger in front of his face, but Peter blankly stares ahead.

Tony then moves his hand so it's tightly pressed against Peter's neck, directly where his pulse point hits. He does this partly so he can assure himself that Peter was still breathing, but mostly to hide his trembling fingers.

"How old is he anyway?"

"That's none of your business." Tony doesn't mean to snap at Natasha, but he could no longer contain his temper. Surprisingly, she doesn't fight back.

"We need to take him back to the jet, then Bruce can check him out on the way back to the Tower."

Tony agrees, and he tries to not let his panic show as they head to the med bay with a lifeless body in his arms.

~

No one can figure out how to help Peter, and Tony is about to lose his mind.

At this point, all of the Avengers have seen his face sans mask, and if Peter weren't in the condition he was in Tony knew he would be freaking out.

Tony is seconds away from barging into the operation room when Helen Cho finally walks out. The look on her face offers no comfort, and he prepares himself for the worst news.

"What happened?" Steve asks before Tony can get the question out, and he can't help but feel annoyed with the faux concern.

But maybe it wasn't fake after all. Despite all the Avengers solely knowing Peter as Spiderman, they seemed to be awfully worried for his well being.

The mission had been completed hours ago, but they all stayed at the med bay even after the creature had been sent to government officials. Peter would have been thrilled at the idea that the other Avengers cared about him.

Helen's voice brings him back to the present.

"We can't find any physical causes of brain damage, but there also doesn't appear to be any activity in the cerebellum. Whatever had happened is clearly some sort of supernatural effect."

For once in his life, Tony was speechless. None of this was necessarily new information, but hearing it from Cho only highlighted the hopelessness of the situation.

He sinks down into the waiting room chair and lets out a shaky breath, not bothering to hide his emotions in front of the other Avengers. People are now arguing with one another, but he attempts to tune it out.

"We should call Doctor Strange."

"He already looked at the other victims and couldn't find a solution, what makes you think he can help Spiderman."

"Try another MRI, maybe you missed something."

"I find that highly unlikely."

Tony drowns our the noise, sinking into his guilt and sorrows.

~

For the first two days, there is no sign of life from Peter.

The Avengers sit with him, attempt in vain to gauge a reaction out of the kid, but Peter only blinks back at them. Tony has stayed for the entire time, especially when May couldn't sit at the med bay due to work.

He tries to ignore the comments and remarks about Peter's age, knowing that if he lost his temper now it would only make matters worse for them all. For the respect of Peter, he refuses to share any personal information about him, even his name. He calls May his mother when people ask about her significance, and only Natasha sees through his lies.

It hits the forty-eight-hour mark when something changes, and Peter closes his eyes.

Tony is the first to notice, and he immediately shoots out of his chair and demands FRIDAY to call in Cho. He moves his hand to his neck and quickly finds a pulse point, and he lets out a sob in relief.

Peter's not dead.

Yet.

But the other victims hadn't closed their eyes. Much like Peter, they were hooked to wires and IVs that offered a sustainable amount of nutrients to keep them alive. Peter had been given a triple amount of the supply to compensate for his metabolism, but maybe they had underestimated how much he truly needed.

Tony checks the heart monitor to make sure everything looked normal, but he was still at a loss on what to do. Magic was unpredictable, and there was no way of telling if Peter closing his eyes was a good or bad sign.

Tony assumes the latter, and when Helen walks in the room to find him outright sobbing into Peter's shoulder, she doesn't look too surprised. The events of the past two days have finally caught up to Tony, and he is unable to play into the unbothered persona now that it had just been himself and Peter in the room.

Helen gently pushes Tony out of the way but graciously allows him to stay in the room as she checks what was going on. For fifteen minutes, its complete silence, and Tony watches at the edge of his seat as Cho starts brain scans.

His heart skips a beat when Cho finally looks up with a wet smile on her face, but he refuses to believe in the hope.

"His brain is starting to regenerate, I- I don't know how, but this is really good news."

Tony sobs some more, this time tears of relief.

He will never understand how Peter's super healing was able to combat against dark magic but it does, and it takes an entire week for him to open his eyes. He recognizes Tony immediately, and he can't help but latch onto the kid tightly.

When all of the Avengers walk into the med bay with flowers and chocolates, Peter practically faints from the shock of it all.

Tony smiles at the reaction, forever grateful to once again see the passion and energy that he had once found annoying, yet now loved with all of his heart.


	18. Death

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Peter never expected death to feel like this.

Peter knows he's dying because he doesn't feel any pain.

He's always wondered what his final breath was going to be like, and of course he had hoped to make it to at least high school graduation before figuring it out. He supposes it had to happened eventually, though the thought doesn't make it any less daunting.

He stares up at the stars, noticing the way they seem to shine just a little brighter than usual. He finds it fitting, and if he weren't so afraid he would have probably breathed a sigh of relief.

Or maybe he was simply imagining the way the stars appeared to take over the night sky. Perhaps it was simply a made up distraction from what was to come.

Peter doesn't want to die alone, but with how far he was from the Tower he assumed that he didn't necessarily have a choice anymore.

He thinks about asking Karen to call May, but he also doesn't want to hear the terror in her voice. It was difficult enough leaving her, and he tries not to think about what will happen after she learns about the death of her child.

Maybe after all the anger and torment, she will be proud of Peter in the end. He did save that girl after all, and he didn't even take offense when she ran away from the crime scene, leaving Spiderman alone with a bullet in his chest.

It should hurt, but it doesn't. And that's how he knows it's his time as he begins to close his eyes, shielding himself away from the stars one last time.

That is until someone begins to scream in his face, and he forces himself to look up despite every bone in his body telling him not too.

There's a man and woman in front of him, and they couldn't have been older than twenty years old. The two peer down at him like cartoon characters with their eyes bulging out of their faces and their jaws dropping to the floor.

Peter didn't think he looked that bad, and he tries not to feel to self conscious as the girl visibly recoils away from him.

Eventually the boy is the first one to collect himself, though when he leans forward it looks like he doesn't want too either.

"Spiderman, are you okay?"

Peter tried to nod, but even the little action takes too much energy out of him. The couple seems to notice this from the way their eyebrows furrow, and it's only then when Peter forces himself to speak.

"I'm fine, just need a moment to gather myself."

Or at least that's what he tries to say, but the words come out as a jumbled mess as he can barely lift his tongue. Somehow, the two are still able to understand him.

And it seems the boy understands a little too well, because a combination of fear and sadness crosses his features for just a moment.

Then he leans closer it's with more gentleness than before, "hey Spiderman, is it okay if I take off your mask?"

His voice shakes when he asks the question, and Peter doesn't understand why the boy was so afraid in the moment- it's not like he was the one who was dying.

And it's only then when Peter realizes he's in a state a shock. He doesn't know what to do with this information, so he simply nods in cooperation.

Before the boy can lift a finger however, the girl stops him.

" _Noah_ , you can't do that. Spiderman has a secret identity for a reason."

The boy turns to look at the girl pulling at his arm. His head was no longer facing Peter which made it difficult to gauge what he was saying, though he can guess from the way the girl responds.

She flinches back once more, but this time with more vigor. The girl appears insistent as she shakes her head, and the way her eyes glisten with tears surprises Peter in a way he knows it shouldn't.

"But he's Spiderman."

"Mel, _look_ at him."

The idea that two complete strangers were so concerned for his well being should have made Peter feel something, whether that be warmth or guilt.

Instead he stares ahead, looking back at the stars that scatter the night sky.

He's always wanted to go to space, it had been an irrational dream of his since he was a kid. He thinks about his other dreams, his goals and aspirations that he would never get to live out.

He wishes he could at least feel something in his final moments on Earth, yet instead he only begins to grow impatient.

This isn't what death was supposed to be like. Peter should be fighting for every breath he takes. He should feel some kind of pain that reminds him that he was still alive.

He feels nothing.

Or maybe that wasn't completely true, because he begins to grow annoyed as the girl starts to pull at his mask. For a second he keeps still as he focuses on the cool fingers that now brush against his skin, but then the natural instinct to fight eventually takes urge.

Peter begins to squirm in a fruitless attempt to escape from the couple's hold. His fidgeting does nothing as the mask inevitably leaves his face, and a look of shock takes over both of their faces when his own is revealed.

"He's like _fourteen_."

If Peter had more energy in him he would roll his eyes, especially since the two strangers couldn't have been that much older than himself. Noah nudges at the girls shoulder, shushing her as if it would ensure that Peter didn't hear what was being said.

He supposes it works in a way, because he stops listening after that. Keeping his eyes open was becoming more difficult as time passed by, and he was starting to forget why he should even bother.

The two strangers continue to bicker in front of him, yet he finds that he no longer cares.

Peter tries to relax the way he had before, but he accidentally makes a sound in the process. He doesn't know if it were a yelp of pain or a cry for help, but it does manage to get the couples attention nevertheless.

Both of their head snap in his direction, and something appears to dawn on them once their focus is back on Peter.

There's movement and rustling that Peter can't necessarily process, and then it's just him and the girl. He doesn't know what's happening anymore, but the stranger tries to fill him in.

"Hey Spiderman, my name is Melanie... we're- uh, going to call for help. Do you think you can stay awake for a little longer?"

Peter looks at Melanie but he doesn't fully process what she was asking. Noah had left to call someone, and usually he would be able to hear the conversation despite him being a couple feet away.

Instead he only hears his own heartbeat pounding against his chest, and he wonders if it's always been this loud.

"Spiderman?"

Peter blinks back at Melanie, hating the way her eyes tear up as she looked down at him. He had been hoping to die alone so to avoid this exact scenario, though at least it was with strangers and not the alternative.

He doesn't want May or Tony to see him like this, all bloody and broken on the alleyway floor. It was inevitable that Iron Man would find him dead by the time he gets here, though maybe he can make the memory just a little less haunting.

One the thought occurs he grabs onto Melanie's hand, being cautious not to break any of her fingers as he holds on. She's clearly surprised but still doesn't hesitate in clasping her hand around his.

Peter tries to lean forward so he can talk into her ear, but it's impossible to lift his head far enough.

Fortunately, she understands what he's trying to do and leans forward herself, and it's only when her ear is right above his lips when he attempts to speak once more.

"It’s Peter."

Melanie jumps back, looking at him as if he were insane. Noah is close behind her now, and Peter doesn't even remember him ending the phone call.

Still he tries again, suddenly desperate to convey a message.

"I need you to tell Tony that I was okay... tell him it didn't hurt."

Peter doesn't know if the two are even able to understand him at this point. He doesn't think he's ever sounded less coherent in his life.

He keeps repeating it anyway, hoping that eventually the two will grasp what he was trying to say. He tries not to think of it as a dying wish, but simply a request.

In the end Peter doesn't know if his message comes across, but it reaches the point where he can no longer speak.

He closes his eyes one last time, and he can only hope in the end.

~

Spiderman is dead.

Noah refuses to process the sight of the unmasked vigilante, covered in blood and eyes closed as he lays on the cold ground.

It's a grotesque image, and the only thing that makes it look real is Melanie's hand still holding onto his now limp fingers. Her own are shaking, and Noah forces himself to snap out of it as he reaches for Mel.

But when he touches her shoulder she tenses not for the first time that night, and the way she looks at him with such grief brings his own mourning to the forefront of his mind.

He had always been a fan of Spiderman and his work. He remembers reading articles about the new superhero and watching YouTube compilations of the deeds he has done for New York City.

To think that the boy that much younger than him was the one catching busses and jumping off of buildings, it was a realization that seemed impossible to fathom. Still, it's clear that the dead superhero was only a teenager, and Noah feels sick at the observation.

"His name was Peter."

Noah snaps his head forward so he was looking at Melanie, and she appears to be in a state of shock as she stares ahead.

His instincts tell him to run as far away from the dead body, not wanting to get caught up with the police when they get here. He had already called with the intent of letting them handle the situation, but Peter had practically begged them to stay.

They wait for Iron Man to arrive like Spiderman promised he would, and anticipation stirs in his gut as he tries not to throw up.

Spiderman is _dead_.

In the end Peter was right, and Tony Stark does manage to show up before the police get there. He walks past both himself and Melanie, offering no attention their way as a look of pure grief takes over his features.

It was strange seeing Iron Man in the flesh, and in any other situation Noah would have probably asked to taken a picture with his idol.

Instead he watches the celebrity mourn over the boy that he should barely know, and the cries of agony that fill that alleyway will haunt Noah for the rest of his life.

Melanie is the one that approaches Tony Stark, keeping herself strong in a way Noah would never understand as she whispers to him what Spiderman had said.

"Peter said it didn't hurt."

There's only one thought that runs through his brain for the rest of the night, and he feels a feminine hand rubbing his back as he throw ups the remaining of his dinner.

_Spiderman is dead._


	19. Grief

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Continuation of Death, though can be read together or alone

He wasn't there when Peter died.

Tony continues to stare at the brick wall, refusing to move a muscle even as police cars begin to surround the crime scene. The red and blue lights flash in his eyes, but he doesn't acknowledge them.

He stands there emotionless, and he doesn't know how much time has passed since he had found Peter dead in the alleyway.

He needs for this to be a dream, and he waits for reality to sink so he can wake up from the worst nightmare of his life.

"Mister Stark?"

Tony startles back then, and that's when he realizes that an officer had been talking to him. The way she stares makes him assume that she had been standing there for a while now.

"Call me Tony," he finally replies after a minute, and the officer seems taken aback by the breach of formalities.

But Peter referred to him as Mister Stark, and he would be dammed if he ever let anyone call him that again after tonight.

He pinches himself, trying in vain to wake up from the looming nightmare. It doesn't work.

"Tony, we need you to step away from Spiderman."

Tony blinks back, and it takes a few seconds to process what she was saying with all of the commotion around them. He only then notices that other people have arrived, and news reporters and paparazzi were beginning to come forward, clearly wanting to be the first to cover the story.

Not if Tony had something to do with it.

He ends up listening to the cop, and he wordlessly walks away from Peter only so he can shove the palm of his hand in the nearest camera lens. From there he pulls it away from the man and throws it on the ground hard enough for it to break.

"Hey, that was expensive."

Cameras were now focused on Tony, which he supposes was a good thing. He only hopes that the shot doesn't pick up the way his hands are still shaking.

Tony puts on sunglasses despite it being the middle of the night to avoid anyone seeing his red rimmed eyes. Then, he speaks loud and clear so everyone can hear him.

"You're taking photos of a minor, publish them anyway and you'll get an awful lawsuit from Stark Industries, got it?" 

"That minor is _Spiderman_."

"And you will speak his name with respect."

He doesn't know how it happens, but he's suddenly face to face with another paparazzi. The man pushes his shoulder, and Tony is seconds away from punching him in the face.

And he lifts his fist to do exactly that, until someone catches him and pulls him away from the middle of the crowd.

Tony turns back and is ready to give a fight, but he freezes in his tracks when he sees that Happy is the one holding him.

He doesn't look good, with his complexion pale and his eyes glazed over like he was unable to believe what was happening. It was a look that he has never seen on the man before, even after all these years that they have worked together.

"We have to go," Happy tries to say, but even he sounds unsure on what to do.

Tony can't blame him, and he's about to actually listen until he sees doctors out of the corner of his eye.

A few paramedics are beginning to take Peter, and Tony suddenly feels sick to his stomach. He rushes forward and stops them right before they can put him in the ambulance.

"Take him to Stark Towers."

"Sir, step away from the patient."

"The patient is dead, let me handle it from here."

The paramedic blinks, seemingly surprised by his curtness. Still, he argues.

"I promise the boy is in good hands Mister Stark-"

"Tony," he corrects, but the paramedic ignores him.

"You're going to have to trust us."

Tony considers this for a second, but he knows in his heart that it wasn't an option. No one would understand, they wouldn't handle Peter with the treatment he deserves.

He doesn't bother fighting it however. It turns to Happy instead, barking an order in his ear and moving swiftly.

"Get Peter to the medbay, no exceptions."

Happy nods, looking relieved to have something to do. Tony was a little jealous of the distraction, but he had other matters to attend too.

He moves passed the cops and cameras, pushing anyone that comes in his way. The noise is overbearing, and he attempts to drown out what everyone is screaming as he escapes the alleyway.

There is one sound that rings in his ears however, and the name Mister Stark is repeated in his head as reporters desperately try to grab his attention. 

_Mister Stark._

Even after he's in the Iron Man suit and far away from the lights, he still hears it, and Tony can no longer contain his grief as he openly chokes out sobs.

He lands on the nearest rooftop and falls to his knees with a loud thud. The cries he lets out are animalistic yet they are drowned by New York traffic.

He cries until he physically can't any longer, but even that doesn't feel like enough.

~

Peter's name is on the news.

It was strange seeing his face on every media outlet, and Tony knew that if he were alive he would have been freaking out. The one rule he had been adamant on was that no one could know his secret identity, not even the Avengers.

It was a concept that Tony didn't understand in the beginning, and he was certain that if had been a superhero at that age then he would have wanted the whole world to know.

Peter didn't need praise at the end of the day, he genuinely wanted to help people even if it meant putting his life on the line.

He was simply a good person, and it hurt to see someone as bright and passionate as Peter to lose his spark so soon.

It _hurt_.

He continues to watch the news channels despite the pain it ensures, and he makes sure that everything they were saying about Spiderman was with good name.

That is until the TV inexplicably turns off and Tony turns around in an instance, only to be met with this sight of Pepper holding the remote.

"You need a shower."

"Excuse me?"

"You heard me, you need to shower and eat and do _anything_ other that sit on the couch all day. His funeral is in two days and we have nothing planned."

Tony stands up at the mention of the funeral, and he can feel all the color leave his face. He begins to sway on his feet, yet Pepper is quick to catch him before he lands on his knees.

He brushes her hand aside anyway, trying to save a little bit of his dignity.

"I thought his aunt was handling the funeral plans."

Pepper raises an eyebrow at that, "you know this is just as hard for her as it is for you, if not more. If she can come to terms with this then so can you."

"I don't want to step on her toes-"

"Bullshit." 

" _I can't see her_."

Pepper startles back at Tony's outburst, but she doesn't say anything. Instead she sits on the couch and waits for him to follow suit.

Eventually he does, and once the confession starts spilling out of him he can no longer seem to stop himself.

"How am I supposed to show up at the funeral when it's my fault the kid is gone."

"Tony you know that's not true, he would have been out there even if you didn't mentor him. If anything you helped the best you could."

"It wasn't enough."

Pepper hums in consideration, and instead of offering more reassurances she places her hand on top of his own, giving it a squeeze.

"Peter would want you to come to his funeral."

Tony doesn't respond because he doesn't know what else to say. He knew that it was true.

It's silent for a moment as they both stare at the turned off screen, and he can only wonder what they were saying about the kid on the news.

When he speaks again there's a tremble in his voice, and he doesn't bother to camouflage it this time around.

"You wanna know the worst part of it all?"

Pepper hums, holding onto his hand just a little tighter as silent encouragement. 

"All of these stories and articles talk about Spiderman, they say Peter's name and they show his face but they only talk about Spiderman. It's like no one cares that the kid is gone, they're only mourning the superhero."

Even as he chokes on his words Tony feels ridiculous speaking it into existence. Peter Parker and Spiderman were the same person, and while everyone knew this now, it still didn't feel like Peter was giving the recognition he deserved.

"Then fix it."

Tony snaps his head so it's facing Pepper, and there's a look of resolve on her face that he has become accustomed to throughout the years.

Still, he has to ask.

"What?"

"If you want them to know about Peter then take matters to your own hands, if anyone has the platform to do it, it's you."

"It's not that easy, I can't just speak for the kid."

Pepper looks at him for a moment, and she must see something on his face that not even he could recognize in the moment, because suddenly her voice goes soft.

"You know, I didn't know Peter very well- I didn't even know he was Spiderman. To me he was simply a intern that you and I both found amusing... but that boy loved you, even if he didn't say it. He worshiped the ground you stepped on and I think you did the exact same for him." 

Tony opens his mouth to say something, but he can't seem to find his voice as tears begin to form in his eyes. Pepper wipes them away before he can do it, and he leans into her touch in a desperate attempt to pull himself together.

"I think Peter would be honored to have you speak for him, share his story."

Tony nods then, and that's exactly what he does.

May and Tony decide to broadcast the funeral so everyone can properly mourn their hero. They share stories of both Peter Parker and Spiderman, hoping to show just how special New York's vigilante truly was.

Each year there is a memorial service funded by Stark Industries, and Peter Parker's name isn't forgotten as time passes by.


	20. Red

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Michelle hates the color red.

When Michelle was younger, her favorite color was red.

There were multiple reasons for this, the first one being that it was one of the colors she was surrounded by the most growing up. She had asked her mom to paint her room red, thinking that it matched her personally well.

She had become accustomed to it as a child, and as a result she never bothered to look at the pastels that lived outside.

But it was deeper than that, because she also appreciates the meaning behind it. Red is the universal symbol for passion. It's powerful in its own ways, representing dominance for whoever decides to reach for it. It causes heads to turn and inexplicably demands the attention of others.

She thinks this is why Peter wears it when he's Spiderman.

And red looks absolutely beautiful on him, it compliments his skin tone and draws attention to his dark roots. Even after all these years, the color still takes Michelle's breath away. 

If Peter were a color, he would be the color red.

She thinks this now as she hands over his mask, preparing him for a battle that neither knew much about. The Avengers had called every hero they could find, claiming that there was a threat that needed tamed months ago.

It ends today, and Peter was going to be the one to stop it.

Or at least she hoped.

She knows that Ned was going to be furious when he learns that Peter had left without offering him a goodbye, yet there was no time to grab the other as they prepare themselves in the school bathroom.

The fact that they had managed to sneak out of class together without getting caught was a miracle enough, and now they only had a few minutes left until Peter had to leave.

"Be careful out there."

Peter smiles as if he were simply going for a walk, and Michelle will never understand how he can keep himself composed at a time like this.

He stands tall and proud, and the Spiderman symbol shines on his chest as he takes a deep breath.

"Whatever happens today, know that I couldn't have done this without you."

Michelle rolls her eyes, "that's not true, you're the one out there fighting... you're the face of it all."

Peter hums in consideration before gathering Michelle into a hug.

"If I'm the face, than you're the heart."

Peter pulls away then, and there's tears forming in his eyes. It's only there for a second, and he's quick to wipe them away before they can fall on his cheeks.

Maybe he was more afraid that Michelle thought.

Peter risks his life every day when he's out as Spiderman, but for some reason this time was different. There had already been so many casualties from this villain, and the fact that not even the Avengers could seem to keep it contained was telling enough.

She wants to offer reassurance, but she doesn't know what else to say. Instead she puts her hand on his shoulder, giving it a squeeze.

"I believe in you."

Peter nods, looking as if he were trying to convince himself to follow through. After that he turns to leave, and she can only hope that they'll see each other again.

Red was once her favorite color, yet now Michelle laughs at herself as she wonders how she could ever be that naive.

Red was the color of war and blood. It was a color that she never wants to see on Peter, even though she knows that she will inevitably not be given an option.

Peter pulls his mask on and leaves through the window, and Michelle can't bring herself to move once he's out of the building.

She's forced to watch from afar as Spiderman turns to battle. She offers support in her own ways, and while Peter has told her that it helps more than she could ever know, she still feels useless on days like this.

For now, she can only hope. 


	21. Injury

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Morgan doesn’t know if she can keep a secret, especially one as dire as this.

Morgan was annoyed.

She had been waiting for weeks for the family to reunite, and with Peter stopping by and Harley visiting from Tennessee it was bond to happen soon.

She had been at the front door when Peter finally enters in his Spiderman suit, and for a moment Morgan believes that they're about to play superheroes.

" _Peter_!"

She runs as fast as she can without tripping over her feet, and it's only when she grabs onto his leg when she notices the physical state he's in.

There's cuts and bruises all over his face, and his arm looks bent at an odd angle. Morgan hears a yelp of pain come from the boy, and she immediately let's go to give him some space.

Still, Peter looks guilty when he directs his attention to Morgan, and it's only then when he bends down on a knees so they were at eye level. Even the little movement looks draining as Peter bites down on his lip.

"Hey Morgan, I've missed you so much."

Peter tries to give her a one-handed hug, yet Morgan takes it as an invitation to fling her own arms around his shoulders like she usually does when Peter comes over.

There's a yelp of pain that escapes, but Peter still catches her before either of them can hit the ground. Morgan doesn't notice any of this as she starts to ramble in his ear.

"We're going to have so much fun this weekend, Daddy said that Harley is coming over too so we can all play Star Wars together!"

Peter laughs at that, but even Morgan can tell that it wasn't genuine. She pulls back then, giving Peter a once over and frowning when she notices just how dark the bruises on his face really were.

"Are you hurt?"

"No, no, no- I'm not hurt, I'm just going to use the bathroom real quick and then we can play all the Star Wars you want, I'm sure Harley would love to join."

Morgan's frown only grows deeper at that, "Daddy says I should tell him whenever you get hurt."

"Daddy doesn't need to know! I'll be in and out of the bathroom I promise, but you have to keep it a secret Mo."

"Why?"

Peter doesn't respond for a moment, and he looks seconds away from passing out as he stands in the middle of the living room. Morgan moves to grab some pillows so at the very least it can cushion his fall, yet Peter grabs onto her hand before she can get very far.

" _Harley_!"

"Harley?" Now she was just confused.

"Yeah, uh- Harley gets really upset around blood, if you tell someone than he might not come over."

Pure dread courses through Morgan's body, and she feels tears begin to form in her eyes at the realization.

"But I want Harley to stay the night."

"And he will, but only if we keep this a secret."

Morgan was now at a lost on what to do. Her parents have always told her to tell the truth especially for situations like this. Peter was starting to look pale in the face and while she knows that it should be concerning, she wasn't necessarily certain what it meant either.

But Morgan also really wanted Harley to come over. It's not often that the three of them are able to play together and she really didn't want to lose that opportunity this weekend.

Eventually Morgan finds herself nodding despite the guilt she feels afterwards.

"Fine I won't tell Daddy, but only if I get to be Spiderman when we play superheroes."

" _Deal_ ," Peter swiftly kisses her cheek before handing her his mask.

Morgan forgets why she was feeling sad the moment the fabric touches her hands, and she's quick to put the mask over her head.

"I'll be right back, if anyone asks say I came in but I had to use the bathroom real quick. And _don't_ mention anything about the injuries."

Morgan gives two thumbs up though she wasn't exactly listening to Peter anymore. She was wrapped up in the Spiderman mask, starting to climb furniture and almost breaking a lamp in the process.

And she gets away with it for a little bit, until someone opens the door and suddenly she hears someone clear their throat from across the room.

She recognizes the voice automatically, and she quickly jumps off the table before turning to the door. Her father stands there with his arms crossed, and she feels herself blush when he raises an eyebrow.

"You know you're not supposed to be on top of furniture like that."

"I'm sorry Daddy, I was just playing superhero."

Her dad walks over and sits on the couch before ushering Morgan to do the same. He pats the cushion next to him, and she doesn't hesitate in running forward so she's sitting on his lap instead.

He picks her up with ease and tucks her into his arms, and it's only then when he takes the mask off of Morgan's head. To that she pouts and while it usually works in getting what she wants, today it doesn't seem too as her dad only holds it further away.

"Why do I get the feeling that you're not that sorry?"

"I am," Morgan announces while still attempting to reach for the mask.

"Come on now, do I need to tell Mom about this to get you to listen?"

Morgan immediately throws her arms down, "no no no-"

Dad laughs at that, and she can't help but smile at the sound, feeling giddy herself.

"Alright, how about this, don't tell Mom and I'll give you a pass this time around. Just don't let it happen again Little Miss."

Morgan giggles at the nickname, and her dad only holds onto her closer as he gives her a kiss on the forehead.

"Where did Peter head to anyway, I didn't hear him come in?"

"He had to go potty."

"Well he could have least said hello to his old man before running to the bathroom."

"But you're not an old man."

He perks up, visibly pleased with what Morgan has to say as she receives yet another kiss.

"And that is why I love you, how about you tell Harley that when he gets here."

Morgan grins from ear to ear, jumping up and down at the mention of Harley, "do you think he'll play superheroes with us? Peter said I could be Spiderman this time!"

"I can see that," Dad says while holding up the mask almost accusatory. Morgan opens her mouth to defend herself, but she's distracted when someone calls from upstairs.

" _Tony_ , we have a situation."

Morgan feels the man stiffen at her side, and he stands in an instance when he hears the commotion from upstairs.

"What's wrong?"

"Just _get up here._ "

Dad runs up the stairs faster than Morgan has ever seen him move, and she tries to keep up as best as she can. Still, she trips on the fourth step and forces herself to not to let tears fall in response.

" _What the hell Peter._ "

Morgan finally catches up to see what was happening in the bathroom, and the sight she is met with makes her cry even more.

Peter looks terrible with his Spiderman suit spilled on the floor. The cuts on his face were nothing compared to the injuries on his chest, and blood stains the sink as he grips it with his one unbroken arm.

Worst of all, there's a deep cut that seems like a stab wound to Morgan. It looks like something she would find in that one horror movie she watched without her parent's permission a couple months ago.

"Hey, language," Peter yells back while making eye contact with Morgan, and he appears just as scared as she is.

Her Mom is the first to react, and she quickly runs to Morgan and gathers her in her arms despite trying to escape her hold. She tries to look back at Peter, but she's away from the bathroom before she knows it.

"Stay in the living room and wait for Harley to come, he'll want to be greeted when he gets here."

"But I want to help Peter."

Morgan jumps off of the sofa, following her mom back up the stairs before she turns around and points at her.

" _Morgan Howard Stark_ , get on that couch."

Morgan responds automatically, practically throwing herself back from her mother's harsh tone. She holds back the rest of her tears when she sees her run upstairs, and it's only then when she understand the severity of the situation.

Her parents never leave her alone while she's crying, even when they were angry at her. If both of the were tending to Peter that means the things have to be bad.

She fidgets on the couch, itching to see what was happening upstairs. Instead she listens to her order and tries to hear to what they were saying from here.

"Why didn't you come find me sooner?"

"I didn't want you to freak out like you are right now."

"I was going to freak out either way, do you realize how irresponsible this was."

" _Tony_ , less yelling and more stitching."

"-And what are we supposed to do with that arm, there's no way we can reset it here at the lake house."

"I can handle the arm, I've set it back before."

"You did _what now_?"

Morgan continues to listen to them bicker, and it does nothing to settle the unease in her stomach. She bounces up and down on the cushion, trying to distract herself from the chaos happening above.

Eventually the fighting turns into cries, and Morgan can't help but join when she hears the pain that Peter is in. She gives up then as she heads upstairs to watch what was happening, but before she can get very far the front door swings open.

"Morgan, where are you going? I just got here," Harley announces while throwing his hands up in mock triumph.

She runs to him immediately, throwing herself into his arms and sobbing onto his shoulder. That's when Harley sobers up, and he awkwardly pays her head as he tries to comfort her.

"Hey what's wrong, you can't already be crying... unless those are tears of joy of course."

Harley says it in an attempt to lighten the mood, but the joke somehow only makes Morgan cry more. With that his eyes widen in fear, and Harley doesn't waste another second as he calls for help.

"Hey Tony, we got a crying kid over here."

"Daddy's busy with Peter, he's dying in the bathroom."

" _Excuse me?_ "

"He looks like one of those characters in that movie we watched a while back."

"You mean The Shining?"

Morgan thinks about this before nodding her head, "yeah, that one."

Harley doesn't say another word as he scoops Morgan in his arms and heads upstairs, and when they reach the bathroom there's somehow more blood than before.

Peter is unconscious as he lays lifeless on the floor, and Morgan immediately assumes the worst as her parents lean over his body.

"I'm sorry, I didn't realize we were reenacting Carrie tonight. I'll make sure to bring my prom dress next time."

"Who's Carrie," Morgan asks, though her mom interrupts before Harley can properly answer.

"No one sweetheart- Harley put her down so she can go to her room."

"Mommy, is Peter dead?"

" _No_ ," both of her parents yell in unison, and Morgan can't help but feel relieved despite the tension in the bathroom.

Harley isn't the one who ends up taking her but instead it's her dad, and he's quick to lead her to the stuffed animals in the corner of the room. He seems sad with the way his lips frown the slightest bit, but Morgan doesn't think he wants her to notice this as he plasters a smile on his face.

"Stay in here for a little bit and then we'll catch up with Harley when we're done, you can tell him how you won the spelling tournament last week."

Morgan would usually feel excited over the idea, but there's something in her head that won't seem to leave her alone.

"Is Peter going to be okay?"

Her dad sighs at that, and she sighs as well when he hands her a plushie instead of responding right away.

"He's going to need a day or two of rest, but he'll be okay soon enough and he's definitely not dead, I can promise you that."

Morgan nods at the information, and though it may not be exactly what she wants to hear it's better than what she had initially believed.

"How about we make Peter cookies for when he wakes up, that'll have to make him feel good."

Her dad smiles again but this time it's genuine, and Morgan can't help but feel the smallest bit of pride that she was the one to create it.

"I think that's a great idea Maguna." 

And that answer alone is how she knows that everything was going to be okay in the end. She simply has to wait until they can play Star Wars again.

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you for reading!!! If anyone has any prompt requests feel free to comment them down below.


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